Art And Ikuto
by Tsukiyomi Gemma
Summary: Amu finally confesses her feelings for Ikuto, but a certain someone isn't happy about it. With all the arguments, controversy, tears and Amu's newest egg, another problem arises. What's happening to the eggs? Can Ikuto really be trusted? AMUTO.
1. Summer Blossoms

**Another short Amuto one-shot. This time there's slight MikixYoru. I was thinking about making this into a chapter story but changed my mind again. So it's still a oneshot, for now anyway. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara nor any of its characters. But I'm still trying! ^.^**

**PLEASE REVIEW ^^**

* * *

**Art And Ikuto  
**

Summer blossoms danced in the warm summer breeze, and thin, blades of fresh grass swayed slowly. The sun beat down on the leaves of the tree Amu was sat underneath. Her pink hair tied up in high bunches on either side of her head while the rest of her hair fell loosely around her shoulders. She was surrounded by flowers of different sizes, shapes and was frowning and pouting slightly, as she chewed lightly on the end of her pencil. Looking up from her currently empty page of her sketchpad, she gazed at all the plants in front of her, and the trees surrounding her.

"Ughh," Her frown deepened and she leaned back pressing the top of her head to the tree bark and looked up through the gap in the leaves. She sighed as she watched the fluffy, white clouds float serenely across the midday sky. "I still can't decide..." She murmured to herself, her eyes sliding shut. Amu let her book fall down from her lap and join her bag on the floor as she stretched her legs out further. Placing her pencil next to them, she let her fingers run through she grass and trace the delicate lines of the separate blades until her fingers found a stem a little bit thicker than the grass, causing her eyes to flutter back open and look at her hands. There she saw a flower with slightly spiked petals lined with the smallest amount of black that faded into midnight blue the closer to the middle it got. Leaning forward to lay on her stomach, she reached for her pencil and sketch pad and placed them in front of her. Slowly she began to draw the flower. She drew it perfectly, she even colored it beautifully. After a while she was finished and really quite proud of her work. She smiled to herself when she looked over the edge of her book and saw her three charas carrying an orange egg towards her.

"That's great Amu-chan!" Miki smiled while looking at her owners drawing, after she, Ran and Suu gently lowered Dia's egg to the soft ground. Ran and Suu nodded along with their sister as they peered over the top of the book.

"Thanks," Replied blushing at her charas comment. "But I'm missing something..."

"Like what ~Desu?" Suu asked placing a finger on her chin.

Amu bit her lip, "I'm not sure yet." Still chewing her lip, she let the tip of the pencil drag lightly across the paper, barely leaving a mark. Then her eyes light up and a tiny blush adorned her face. She looked around before she returned to her place of lying on her stomach, leg swinging in the air. She began with the eyes, then moved onto the hair, then jawline, and the rest of the facial features. Ran had ran off somewhere again but little cheers for a squirrel climbing a tree could be heard on the wind. Suu had taken to polishing Dia's egg, and Miki had, unknowingly to Amu, floated behind her shoulder looking at her work as she lay on the floor. She spent ages on the drawing, determined to make it perfect. She wanted every details to be right. She was pleased with herself for not having used Miki's talent alone. Miki, who was still admiring her work with glittering eyes breathed ''Wow..." under her breath causing Amu to jump and cover her work with her bag.

"Miki...you scared me." Her face was an amazing shade of red, she tried to cool her face down in turn, making her blush deepen. Miki smiled apologetically before moving to stand on the bag and was still clutching.

"Why are you hiding it from me?" She asked looking into her owners face tilting her head slightly. Amu breathed in deeply.

"I'm not I'm just...well...you know..." She closed her eyes and turned her head away. "It's just embarrassing..." she whispered. After a small pause Miki thought of something.

"I know what will make you less embarrassed." She smiled. Amu looked back at Miki, confused. She watched her blue chara reach into her small messenger bag, sporting a blush of her own. She pulled out her own drawing pad and flipped through the pages until she stopped and looked at her drawing she bit her lip but handed over her book anyway. Amu looked at it and blinked, then slowly removed the bag from the top of her own work. She looked from Miki's drawing to hers.

"You drew Yoru..." Amu whispered.

"...And you drew Ikuto." Miki beamed.

Amu closed her sketch pad smiling until she turned to Miki with confused eyes. Miki blinked at her. "What?"

"Nothing...It's just, I thought you would have drawn Kiseki..?" It sounded more like a question than a statement. "Don't you like him?"

Attempting to hide her blush, Miki looked down at her drawing of Yoru smiling sat on the rail of Amu's balcony. "I thought I did..." she began after a while. "But...I don't know. I realised he didn't notice hardly anyone apart from himself, I guess. He didn't really act like he cared what anyone else thought or felt... I can't like someone like that." She finished looking down. Amu looked deep in thought but nodded once.

"Wait...so does that mean you like Yoru?" Miki's head snapped up to look at her, her face redder than Amu had ever seen it before.

"I...I..." Miki stuttered. Sighing in defeat she said "I g-guess I do... a little b-bit." with a shaky voice. Amu smiled. "Well, what about you?"

"Huh? Me?" Amu asked puzzled, her smile slowly fading into a confused look.

"Yeah...do you like Ikuto?" She asked crossing her arms, a triumphant look plastered all over her face, as Amu's eyes widened.

"N-no." She stated stubbornly crossing her own arms. Miki smirked softly.

"You_ can _tell me you know, Amu-chan."

Amu looked at her chara then stared at the bark of another tree opposite her. It was silent apart from the slight rustle of leaves above her head. She thought back to the night she and Ikuto were both in the air reaching for the embryo. She remembered the look on his face as he looked at it. He looked like he'd give anything to get it. When she saw the pain in his eyes, she hesitated. She could have reached out that little bit extra and grabbed it out of the air before him. But she didn't. She couldn't do that to him. She remembered the way he held her when they were falling, the way he let her know he was there when he held her closer. The way he let her know he would die to protect her when he placed his hand on her head. She also remembered Death Rebel. Amu had hated seeing Ikuto that way. Fighting her against his will, under _their _control. But she never stopped believing in him, especially when those cold, dead eyes gave way to his honest, pure ones when he told her to stay back. She found she couldn't stay away from him. She knew she had to, she knew when he was hurt he couldn't stay at her house, but she let him anyway. She couldn't leave him. She made a vow to herself that she would never leave him on his own when he needed her most. She understood he was meant to be her enemy...meant to be. In truth she had never thought of him as one. Even when she saw him surrounded by X-eggs for the first time, she refused to believe. She always knew deep down that he was a good person. And she also knew she had to help him, she'd give anything to save him. Anything at all. She lied to her friends for him, she lied to her parents. When she learned about his childhood, her heart broke and she felt pain. Pain for_ him_. She understood why he done the things he did. She understood all about Easter trying to use him as a pawn in their giant game for obtaining the embryo. What she didn't understand was why she felt safe when he was there, even though he was supposed to be working against she didn't understand was how she ever lived without him...

What she didn't understand was how she ever lived without loving him.

Snapping back to the present she saw Miki looking at her, worried. "Amu-chan...are you okay?" Amu nodded, before shaking the thoughts out of her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You were thinking about him again weren't you?" Miki said with understanding eyes. Amu was about to deney everything when she realised there was no point. Why should she Deny everything when she knew in her heart it was all true?

"Yeah...yeah I was." she said, her eyes looking sad and beaten. "And yeah, I do like him. I like him alot."

"Amu-chan? Whats wrong?" Miki asked floating over to her owner's crossed legs and standing her her knee to look up into her face. Amu looked back at her and smiled a small, sad smile.

"But theres no point,Miki...he doesn't feel the same. He _can't_ feel the same...not about me." She looked brokenhearted, so different from when she was drawing the one she was speaking of now.

"You don't know that." Miki whispered to her.

Amu carried on as if she hadn't heard her. "I feel so stupid. I can't believe I actually... actually _love_...him. And all he sees is a kid." tears where in her eyes threatening to overflow, but Amu refused to let them. She stood up,as Miki got of her knee, and got her things together. "Please go and get the others Miki, were going home." Miki nodded with sad eyes and slowly floated towards Suu at the bottom of another tree, humming to herself and swinging her legs from where she sat on an above-ground tree root, next to Dia's egg. Sighing and still attempting to blink back her tears, Amu swung her bag ,that looked like Miki's messenger bag, over her shoulder. She let the breeze brush her hair away from her face, and with the wind went one single tear drop that escaped from her unwilling eyes. Suddenly two strong arms wounded their way around Amu from behind her. Amu gasped and was about to squirm out of whomsoever grasp it may be until said person murmured,

"I don't think your a just a kid Amu..." into her ear.

She froze.

_  
Ikuto..._

"Wh...what?" her voice came out as a broken whisper.

"I said," He breathed "I don't see you as a kid." His breath tickled her ear as he spoke softly. His arms were still around her and he tightened his grip. "I heard everything you said..."

Amu's eyes widened. "Every...thing?" Instead of an answer, Ikuto spun her round quickly but gently, and kissed her passionately. He dragged his tongue along Amu's bottom lip begging for entrance, which she gladly accepted. She let the last tear she held back slide down the side of her face. When they finally parted for air Ikuto wiped it away with his thumb and rested his forehead against hers.

"Amu..." He stated taking her face in his hands lightly. "I love you." Her eyes widend slightly as new tears came to her eyes.

"You mean that?" She asked afraid of the answer.

_  
_"More than anything." He smiled. A_ real _smile.

"I love you too, Ikuto." She blushed.

They kissed again, this time pouring every emotions they've ever had to hide from each other into it. Ran,Miki and Suu who were heading back saw this and their faces light up. Yoru who was holding Miki's hand closed his eyes and nodded. Even the orange egg opened slightly revealing a smiling Dia. Safe to say, the only person not smiling was a young, blonde haired boy standing at the side of the large iron gate of the park, with a shocked, broken look on his face as he saw the two kissing under the falling summer blossoms...

* * *

**  
It looked alot longer on paper...darn. Anyway I hope you all liked it! I wasn't really sure about the ending but it was the only one I coukd think of at such short notice. I haven't been feeling well so I had a little time to write and this suddenly came to me. If anyone had any idea's for turning this into a chapter story then please reveiw and tell me if you like. I'll credit you, promise! ^^**


	2. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: I do not own shugo chara, turns out it's alot harder than it looks...jeez.**

**PLEASE READ.**

**Ikuto is back to Easter controlling him like they used to before Death I'd like to point out that Amu and Ikuto go to the same school, basicly both their uniforms are the same as in the anime. But Utau's is the same as Amu's. Kukai also still goes to the same school as the other guardians and is still involved with them. I'd also like to thank everyone who reivewed, so thanks to **Haonn, Amuto-fan-Neko-San, Angel Lilith, oxCuteKataraox ,losh2kaii8 and CrAzYaNiMeFrEaKgUrL. **I would really like more reviews so please do if you have the time **^^

**Sorry if it's short!..again. **

**Recap**

_**"Amu..." He stated taking her face in his hands lightly. "I love you." Her eyes widend slightly as new tears came to her eyes.**_

_**"You mean that?" She asked afraid of the answer.**_

_**"More than anything." He smiled. A real smile.**_

_**"I love you too, Ikuto." She blushed.**_

_**They kissed again, this time pouring every emotions they've ever had to hide from each other into it. Ran,Miki and Suu who were heading back saw this and their faces light up. Yoru who was holding Miki's hand closed his eyes and nodded. Even the orange egg opened slightly revealing a smiling Dia. Safe to say, the only person not smiling was a young, blonde haired boy standing at the side of the large iron gate of the park, with a shocked, broken look on his face as he saw the two kissing under the falling summer blossoms...**_

Ikuto carried Amu home when she began to get tired. He character transformed with Yoru and leapt across the darkening sky. Finally he landed on her balcony and pushed the door open with his free hand, dispelling the transformation as he did so. Walking into the room still carrying the sleeping girl bridal sytle, he looked down into her peaceful face. He loved it when she slept, she didn't have to pretend. Be something she's not. He savoired the moment. The last time he saw her sleep was when she took him in. He never told her, but if he happend to wake up in the middle of the night he would lay with her and watch as her soft breathing rustled her hair from where it fell near her mouth. He leaned down and layed her tiny sleeping form on the bed before removing her bag from her shoulder. Ikuto was about to put it on the dressor when a purple book fell from it, to the floor. He seated himself cross legged on the floor and looked down into the open page when he saw the last thing he expected, a perfect drawing of himself. His expression was solem but his eyes were glowing. He looked...happy. Staring up at Amu he smiled gratefully at her. Never had he known someone to care for him enough, to_ love _him enough. He leaned up and kissed her forehead, then let his lips trial down the side of her face and trace the line of her jaw before standing again replacing the book back into her bag. He pulled the blankets over Amu, despite her still being fully dressed, and turned to leave. That is until he felt a small tug on the front of his school unifrom. He looked down to see a small clenched fist grabbing onto him. Amu's eyes slowly flutterd open and looked upto him, as he was still half way standing.

"Stay..." She murmerd sleepily. "Please."

Placing his hand over hers he nodded and sat on the floor, his chin resting on the edge of the bed. She smiled as she leaned towards himand kissed him lightly, before laying back down, looking content. She still had her hand tangled in his clothes at the fornt of his chest when she fell asleep later that night.

_"I love you too, Ikuto."_

He sighed and began to brush the bangs out of Amu's eyes.

"Do you mean that?" He whispered, more to himself than to her.

***The Next Morning***

Ikuto blikned his eyes open as the morning sun shone brightly through Amu's balcony doors. Somehow he had made his way into Amu's bed again, but was too tired to be consernerd about it that early in the morning. He looked down at the small sleeping girl in hs arms and his eyes softend. Stifling a yawn his eyes dragged over to the clock on the bedside table near his head.

6:45

He groaned. He and Amu were due in school in an hour and a half. He didn't want to wake her but he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't.

"Amu..." He shook her gently, trying to coax her out of her sleep. "Amu."

"Hmm?" Came her sleepy reply as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Time to get up," he carried on when he seen her confused frown. "We have school remember?" He rolled his eyes.

"Crap! What time is it?" she asked as she sat up quickly.

"Don't worry, we've still got time. But I have to go get changed." He stated lazly motioning to his messy school uniform. Amu made a small 'o' shape with her mouth before looking down at herself.

"Why am I in my uniform?" she asked tugging at her shirt.

"Oh I see, wanted me to undress you, _Amu?" _He smirked. Turning bright red she yelled "You stupid pervert!" back at him, trying to disguise her blush as anger. Laughing,thus causing Amu to blush even more, he stood and brushed his clothes straight. "Anou..Ikuto?"

Ikuto turned back to her, she was looking down and fidling with the hem of her red checked skirt. "Yeah?" he asked frowning a little. After a short pause she asked, "Did...those things you said...at the park...did you mean them?" with a small voice, only just loud enough for him to hear her.

_"I said," He breathed "I don't see you as a kid." _

_"Amu..." He started,taking her face in his hands lightly. "I love you." _

He leaned down with both knees on the floor while she was still steated on her bed. She looked deep into his eyes, almost losing herself to them when he leaned in closer, closer until he was inches from her face. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. Amu, I'm in love with you. I know I shouldn't be, I know we are supposed to be enemies, but I love you and nothing can change that." His eyes, his serious look, everything about him told Amu he meant it. Every word of it. "Did _you_ mean what you said?Do you love me?" He finished.

Leaning in, she whisperd "Yes," with her lips brushing his. They closed the distance between one another, both knowing how much that kiss meant to the other. After they broke apart for air, Ikuto kissed Amu's forehead and stood to leave. "You'll come back before school right?" Amu askedalso beginning to stand. "Yeah," he said nodding. "Yoru, come on, were going." he said a little louder for the cat chara to hear him. Ikuto left out the un-locked balcny door, not bothering to wait and carefully jumped over the edge. "Ikuto~Nyaa!" yelled Yoru speeding past the glass door after his owner. Amu smiled as she saw Miki float over the the door watching Yoru and Ikuto leave. Miki turned and saw Amu, then in turn began so blush before smiling at her.

"Don't you need to get changed,Amu-chan?" Ran asked slowly getting out of her egg.

"Damn, completly forgot!" she inwardly cursed herself and she scrabled about her room looking for another school uniform she could wear for that day. After taking a shower, drying her hair, toweling herself off, brushing her teeth,getting changed and running a brush quickly through her hair ,all this much to the amusement to the three charas watching her, she was finally ready. She was clipping a red 'X' clip into her hair, instead of tying it up, when she heard the doorbell.

"Amu-chan! There's a cute boy at the door for you!" She faintly heard her mother shout up the stairs. Groaning at how embarassing her mother could be at times, she grabbed her bag and blazor as she left her room. "Hai,mama.!". Ignoring her fathers random cries about 'his first born leaving him too soon to run off and get married', she bid good-bye to her mother quickly as she walked about of the door to meet a waiting Ikuto. They talked together until they reached the school gates. Practicly everyone was staring at them, the boys glaring at Ikuto for being with their beloved ''Amu-Sama'',as they had now taken to calling her. They faintly heard whispers about how 'the cool and spicy Hinamori Amu would of course have a good looking older boyfriend' and various other conversations along those lines. Amu was just about to die of embarassment before she pulled on her outer character. Ikuto, seemingly not at all botherd by the attention they were getting,of course why would he be? He is after all one off the hottest guys in Amu's school, reached out and took Amu's hand, not at all helping her keep the outer facade'. More chatter started up when they saw this. Ikuto pulled Amu futher into the school grounds and she was starting to get used to the constant stares and questioning looks they got off passing students, when she saw them.

The Guardians.

Nagehiko, Rima, Yaya, Kukai and Tadase were all sat or stood around a bench near the royal garden. Ikuto stopped when he seen them, "Amu." She looked up at him, still holding his hand in hers. "If you want to go talk to them on your own I'd understand. They do see me as their enemy after all." Amu's face suddenly fell slightly at the realisation. Ikuto is still being used by Eatster. Still trying to get the embryo... "Are you going to tell them?" he asked.

"Yeah... I just don't know how to do it yet." She replied slowly.

"You don't have to if-"

"I want to." she stated, confidently looking him in the eye. Telling him she wasn't backing down about this. He nodded and leaned down to kiss the top of her head, before squeezing her hand and walking away. She stood and watched his back as he left, completely hipnotised by the way the sunlight shone through his hair. The way it swayed in the very light, warm breeze that summer brings. Shaking he head, after looking at him for god knows how long, she turned to walk towards to the other gaurdians. Only to see them all looking towards her. Nagehiko and Yaya were smiling nervously at her, Kukai was scratching the back of his head while grinning, Rima was looking her in the eye suspiciously while Tadase was staring at her with no emotion on his face. She searched all of their expressions silently while walking slowly towards them, becomign more nervous with every step she took. "Ohiao, minna..." she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ohio Amu-chan." Replied Nagehiko smiling at her looking almost...apologetic?

"Whats going on?" She asked, wishing she never let Ikuto leave her now.

"I was about to ask you the same thing..." Said Tadase from the back of the group, still sitting on the bench next to Rima. "You werent thinking about hiding it from us were you?" he said with a cold voice. Amu had never heard him use such a tone. He seemed annoyed at her. He seemed like he was expecting her to confess to something she had done _wrong. _Like an infant being scolded for drawing across the wall. This annoyed Amu no end. Everybodies charas floated around in the tense atmosphere, all apart from Kiseki, who was floating above them all looking aot like Tadase. Ran, Miki and Suu were still heading over to the others after running off before school started, when they picked up on the mood of the group. Miki floated up behind Pepe' and Kusukusu and whisperd as quiet as she could, "Whats going on?"

Kusukusu, who looked unusually un-happy for a clown chara, turned around slightly still keeping her eyes on the guardians and replied, "Tadase just asked Amu if she was hiding something from everyone elce."

"Hiding what?" Ran asked, appearing next to Miki.

"Well? Tell everyone what your hiding." Tadase demanded calmy, stopping anyone replying to the pink chara. There was a very long pause in which no one spoke. Amu began to slowly glare at Tadase, sitting there all high and mighty. Thinking himself above everyone there. Amu stopped her own train of thought, unclenched her teeth and took another step closer. Fists at her side she snapped.

"And who the hell do you think _you_ are? You have no right to speak to me like that!" she bit curtly. "And while im on the subject, whats with the strange looks im getting off you all?!" She half yelled, trying to keep her temper under control. Kukai sighed.

"Here's the thing Hinamori,uh..." He began struggling. Not being able to come up with anything satifactory, he looked at Nagehiko with a look that plainly begged 'Help me out here.'

"Amu-chan,Hotori -kun explained to us this morning that you may be hiding something from us, but...he never said what it was." Finished Nagehiko, smiling apologeticaly at Amu. Rima, getting annoyed at this point,stood up while closing her eyes in exasperation. Their first class hadn't even started yet and she was already exhausted. "Just what exactly is this about Tadase? If I find out you've been wasting my time..." She began,with a glare in his general direction.

"Yeah, I'd like to know what's going on here too." Came a voice approaching from behind Amu, cutting of Rima's 'Would-be' threat. Everyone turned to see the new participant in their conversation. Hoshina Utau. "Is there a problem here?" She asked raising and eyebrow at Amu. Her and Amu had become much closer when she was freed from easter. Utau saw her more often and spent most of her free time with her. Some would dare say they were bestfriends. And they do. Aslong as Rima isn't around to hear their gossip of the two. She had gotten over her crush for Ikuto a while ago, but was starting to harbour a new one for the oblivious soccer player with bright green eyes...

"No, there's no-"

"I wasn't asking you." Utau said, looking at Tadase as if it most the most obvious thing in the shut his still agape mouth and looked away. She crossed her arms and truned back to Amu. "Everything okay?" She asked in a softer tone. Tearing her galring eyes away from Tadase, Amu dug her hands in her blazor pockets, and looked at Utau.

"Well, apparently I've done something terrible and I'm hiding it from everyone elce." She shrugged, acting as if she wasn't incredibly wound up by the stituation,By the way her voice sounded, she could have been talking about the weather, but Utau knew Amu. She could see right through her acts. Her eyes widend the tiniest amount before it turned into a frown. placing her hands on her hips she turned to the guardians once again, avoiding eye contact with Kukai, while Amu looked at something towards the school building. There was an almost demonic aura about her when she slowly seethed "Explain." to noone inperticular. Her voice made Yaya whimper and everyone elce shudder, thus causing Amu to look back at them. Everyone apart from Tadase took a step backwards, and Rima walked upto Utau and Amu, standing on Amu's other side. Everyones head turned towards Tadase, waiting.

"I saw you,Amu-chan. I saw you and Tsukiyomi Ikuto together." He said standing up, clenching his fists lightly at his sides, looking down.

**I think I made Tadase out to be more of a jerk than he usaully is. Me and my stupid brain T_T . Anyway please ****review**** if you want me to continue with this! Because I'm still not sure. Sorry if this and the last chapter seem a little rushed! I don't have any patience at all. Gomen -_-**

**PLEASE REVIEW**^^

**Oh and sorry for mistakes! I havent got long on the computer and don't have time to check! SORRY!**


	3. Who’s Making Threats?

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed: **ArtGrrl-Sunna Bluecat, Aznprid3x3, angelitaramos2102, kouhaixsempai and Angel Lilith. ^^

**Good news! Now I think I actually have an idea where this fic is going now ^^**

**Ikuto: You **_**think**_**...yeah sounds like you.**

**Whats THAT supposed to mean?!**

**Ikuto: Nothing, just that you**_** never **_**know where **_**anything**_** you write is going.**

**Well, I know in this fic... Kind of... a little...um... be quiet Ikuto! .**

**Ikuto: -Smirk- **

**...W-what?**

**Ikuto: You just owned yourself. **

**Hey your lucky I even got round to doing this chapter! I am very buzy at the moment.**

**Ikuto: Buzy being lazy...No, I don't mean that. I guess you **_**were**_** up very late writing last night.**

**See? Do you know how much coffee I got through? And i'm still dissapointed, I blame writers block... It's still too short!**

**Ikuto: -cough- like you -cough-**

**I AM NOT SHORT...Dia do the disclaimer please. **

**Dia: Sure, okay, but why can't you do it?**

**Im buzy at the moment... -Currently on the phone getting together a fangirl army to glomp Ikuto until he's driven to insanity-**

**Dia: -Sweatdrop- heh, Tsukiyomi Gemma does not own Shugo Chara! only this fanfic ^^**

**Yoru: ****REVIEW!**

Art And Ikuto: Chapter Three

_"Well, apparently I've done something terrible and I'm hiding it from everyone elce." She shrugged, acting as if she wasn't incredibly wound up by the stituation,By the way her voice sounded, she could have been talking about the weather, but Utau knew Amu. She could see right through her acts. Her eyes widend the tiniest amount before it turned into a frown. placing her hands on her hips she turned to the guardians once again, avoiding eye contact with Kukai, while Amu looked at something towards the school building. There was an almost demonic aura about her when she slowly seethed "Explain." to noone inperticular. Her voice made Yaya whimper and everyone elce shudder, thus causing Amu to look back at them. Everyone apart from Tadase took a step backwards, and Rima walked upto Utau and Amu, standing on Amu's other side. Everyones head turned towards Tadase, waiting. _

_"I saw you,Amu-chan. I saw you and Tsukiyomi Ikuto together." He said standing up, clenching his fists lightly at his sides, looking down._

A silence fell over the group. Rima, who was still stood at Amu's side, stopped frowning and turned to look at the side of her friends head. Nagehiko looked deep in though, Kukai was staring at Amu, blinking and Yaya kept looking back and forth between her and Tadase, as if she was watching a game of tennis, waiting for one of them to speak. Biting the corner of his lip, Nagehiko broke the slightly awkward silence, in which Amu tried to use the time to keep her face straight.

"Anou...Hotori-kun, Amu-chan and Tsukiyomi Ikuto _do_ usualy talk outside of Easter and the guardians, really it's quite common for them to." he said. Rima nodded and agreed with him,

"So you _are_ wasting my time after all..." she said crossing her arms.

"Yeah, this isn't a shock." Kuaki added.

Tadase looked around the people in front of him. Yaya looked like she was desperately wishing to be somewhere elce, Utau had her arms crossed looking away, seemingly in no way interested. And Amu had resorted to glaring at the blond haired boy in front of her. Everyone else was either looking at Amu, Rima being slightly amused, waiting for her to explode at Tadase, or smiling nervously, trying to keep the peace. Tadase shook his head quickly, trying his best to aviod Amu's evil look that clearly said 'Shut-up-NOW'.

"This time it was different!" He protested. Kiseki nodding along with his words.

"I saw Tsukiyomi Ikuto's shugo chara there too." The little king chara stated, deliberately turning his gaze to Miki, all the other charas, who had remained silent up until this point also turned to look at her. Miki, who was feeling very uncomfortable right about now, with everyone's gazes on her, didn't make eye contact with anyone and started at the dusty school ground floor instead. Kiseki turned his nose up at them all and averted his gaze. Amu was angry. Very angry. She was fuming at Tadase for bringing this up now. She wanted to tell her friends herself. To explain better. So maybe they wouldn't take it the same way as Tadase had. But, then she thought, is Tadase saw her and Ikuto together, then he obviously would have seen the two confess and...kiss. The thought made her face turn even more red. She herself didn't know if she was red with embarrassment or with pure murderous anger at her privacy being violated like that.

_'Both'_ she concluded in her head.

"How could it have been different?" Yaya asked, closing one eye and placing a finger on her chin. Tadase was about to answer, when Amu interrupted him, determined not to let him ruin what she planned to be a good way to tell her friends about her and the neko-guy. Tadase stopped in his tracks.

"It was different because," she started loudly, trying to draw everyones attention to her instead of Tadase. "B-because, me and Ikuto... are...I guess you could say we're kind of...together now." she stumbled through the sentance quietly, not particularly wanting to see the guardians reactions. He _was _meant to be their enemy after all. But she did glance at Utau for a spilt second, just long enough to see her stiffen beside her. Another silence fell. It seemed like years until someone finally spoke, and Amu was grateful before she realized. It was Utau. Amu cringed, not knowing what to expect from her, she turned her head to stare at Rima's feet beside hers. Everybody here knew she once had feelings for her brother. Amu thought that she had witnessed those feelings slowly fade to be replaced with a sisters love, as it was _meant_ to be. She even thought Utau had taken a liking to a certain green eyed guy who was standing less than two meters away. But...now Amu didn't know what to think, especially since Tadase was acting so different today. Her breathing hitched subconsciously when she heard the young singers voice.

"Jeez, took you long enough!" She half yelled, placing her hands on her hips, smiling. Amu's head snapped up to look at her.

"Ehh?" Utau smiled again at her best friends reaction and rolled her eyes.

"About time too." Rima laughed to herself, but still everyone heard. She too was obviously happy for her best friend. Tadase looked over to Nagehiko, Kukai and Yaya. None of them seemed to be taking it badly. Then he looked at Rima, who look right back at him, not even attempting to hide the triumphant smirk plastered all over her face. What she _was _fighting, was the urge to just burst out into uncontrollable, evil laughter. She was always silently against Amu and Tadase being together, ever since she learned about the time he confessed he had feeling for Amulet Heart and not for** all **of Amu. She didn't even understand how he classed that as a confession to Amu. He might as well had confessed to _Ran_ as far as Rima was concerned...and that's how she saw it. And she could tell Utau felt the same as she did about this entire thing. Partly because when Amu got closer to Utau, so did Rima. And partly because Utau wasn't fighting her own smirk either. Kukai was currently patting Amu's back in a brotherly way, while she was still blushing immensely. Utau and Rima looked at each other and smiled, while Yaya was bouncing all around hyperactivity with Pepe', generally pleased to be out of the awkward situation they were all in around five minutes ago. Tadase, seeing all of this, snapped.

"What is wrong with all of you!?" He bellowed, grabbing everyone's attention yet again. All conversation seized as they all turned to stare at him, or in Utau's case: Glare.

A little gold crown was sitting on top of Tadase's head, glinting in the sunlight, shining down on the school grounds. Utau, not to be outdone, especially not by a childish boy yet to learn his place, character changed too. Small, black, bat-like wings sprouted from the back of her white school shirt, since she never wore the blazer. Iru and Eru, only just appearing out of thier eggs, floated about Utau's head. Everyone looked between the two, afraid of what could possibly happen next.

"No... whats with _you?_" Utau demanded, the glare never leaving her face as she spoke. Ever since she and Amu got closer, Utau had become slightly protective of her. Even if she didn't realize it, but the others did. Once Utau had almost hurt Amu back when she worked for easter. Was _used _by them. After that, she promised herself she'd do anything she could to keep her friend safe. And if that meant kicking an annoying creeps ass every once in a while...so be if she had known them since childhood. Tadase glared...actually _glared_ for once.

"ME? I'm not the one supporting something that _shouldn't _happen and_ isn't _tolerated!" His voice rose after each and every word.

"No one asked for your permission." Utau pointed out clenching her fists. "But if you don't get that... I'm afraid I'll be forced to make it clear enough for your tiny, irrelevant brain to understand, wont I?" She said, flexing her wings.

Tadase's face looked shocked to say the least. Utau looked ready to kill. Literally. His expression changed from surprised to appalled. "Are you... threatening me?" He asked disbelievingly, his crown making gold lights dance on the ground below him. Utau smiled innocently.

"No one mentioned any threats, you came up with that all on your own."

When Tadase was character changed, he had a very short fuse, and he was being pushed to the very end of his tether with every second that passed.

"Don't play games with me, commoner!" He yelled pointing at her, a lot like Kiseki would do, he didn't think before he spoke.

"What did you just call me?" She almost yelled. Iru nearly growled at Kiseki from above everyone's heads, while he just stuck up his nose and looked away indignantly. Amu stared at Tadase and Utau, both still character changed.

"Utau...Tadase-kun..." but they didn't pay attention,both to caught up in their anger for the other. It was as if she had never spoke at all. They were acting do different. Usually Tadase would never speak to anyone the way he was right now, and Utau would hardly ever get _this _wound up about something. And even if she did, she wouldn't resort to the way she was acting now...well not much anyway. The two started squaring up to each other when Tadase replied, "I'm not going to repeat myself to _you_."

**Ikuto: ...Gemma.**

**Yeeees? ^^**

**Ikuto: That sucked.**

**Oh come on! I have already explained this! **

**Ikuto: doesn't stop it from sucking.**

**So it didn't have any Amuto in...It actually didn't have any Ikuto in... I'm sorry okay!? But hey look at it like this...**

**Ikuto: ...?**

**Tadase MIGHT get his ass kicked. ^^**

**Ikuto: I guess I forgive you...this time.**

**THANK YOUU! -Glomps Ikuto-**

**Ikuto: Gemma...get off me.**

**NEVER!**

**Ikuto: Anyway aren't you going to tell me what your 'idea' for this is?**

**...You'll just have to wait and see ^^**

**Ikuto: -Faking hurt- You cut me deep, Gemma.**

**IKUTOO! -Tackles Ikuto to the ground-**

**Dia: Okayy... Tsukiyomi Gemma don't you have something to explain to the readers?**

**Oh yeah...Okay so here's the deal. Because I don't think there is much interest in this story...**

**Ikuto: And she's greedy for more reviews...**

**...I might start asking for a certain amount of reviews for each chapter. So if I get enough this chapter I'll start the next one as soon as I can! ^^**

**Ikuto: And then actually figure out whats going to happen in it.**

**Yeah...SO IDEAS WOULD BE HELPFULL!**

**Yoru: ****REVIEW!!**


	4. Utau vs Tadase

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, It means soo much **__**:**__ BrOkEnBeYoNdRePaIr1097 , ArtGrrl-Sunna Bluecat , Aznprid3x3 , Nikooru-sama __**and**__ Angel Lilith _

**Hi everyone... -yawns-**

**Ikuto: -glaring-**

**Aww Ikuto don't give me that look...**

**Ikuto: -still glaring-...And just **_**where**_** have you been?**

**Look I'm sorry okay? I know, I know im a terrible person. But I have a good excuse this time.**

**Ikuto: This had better be good.**

**It is! My entire school is plotting against me! They all have some kind of evil conspiracy planned out, man! I had to try especially hard last week because its the end of this school year and I had to make up for being late all the time and skipping the work! So I had to leave this fic for a little while longer than i wanted to so I could concentrate on my literature coursework!**

**Ikuto: ...Did it pay off then? Ignoring me for this ''School'' thing your always complaining about...**

**Well yes it did actually. -yawns-**

**Ikuto: What!?**

**I didn't fail this time! I got a B+ and I almost scraped an A. And I got into business studies! Yay me ^^**

**Ikuto: -sulks and starts mumbling about Tsukiyomi Gemma betraying him for school-**

**But i got another really bad reason that this is abit late -cries- . I broke up with someone! It was only 2 months but we knew each other ages and he was a great friend. hopefully we'll still talk but... -cries more-**

**Ikuto: -panicking- agh...crying girl...crap!**

**Well anyway enough about that. It's 03:41 in the morning, and I'm very tired... I don't own Shugo Chara it belongs to the lucky so-and-so's known as peach-pit. Oh and i still might up the reviews each chapter...too tired to decide right now. -collapses from exhaustion-**

**Miki: PLEASE REVIEW ^^**

**

* * *

**

**Art And Ikuto - Chapter Three**

_Utau looked ready to kill. Literally. His expression changed from surprised to appalled. "Are you... threatening me?" He asked disbelievingly, his crown making gold lights dance on the ground below him. Utau smiled innocently. _

_"No one mentioned any threats, you came up with that all on your own."_

_When Tadase was character changed, he had a very short fuse, and he was being pushed to the very end of his tether with every second that passed. _

_"Don't play games with me, commoner!" He yelled pointing at her, a lot like Kiseki would do, he didn't think before he spoke. _

_"What did you just call me?" She almost yelled. Iru nearly growled at Kiseki from above every ones heads, while he just stuck up his nose and looked away indignantly. Amu stared at Tadase and Utau, both still character changed. _

_"Utau...Tadase-kun..." but they didn't pay attention,both to caught up in their anger for the other. It was as if she had never spoke at all. They were acting so different. Usually Tadase would never speak to anyone the way he was right now, and Utau would hardly ever get this wound up about something. And even if she did, she wouldn't resort to the way she was acting now...well not much anyway. The two started squaring up to each other when Tadase replied, "I'm not going to repeat myself to you."_

"Good, I hear your whining voice enough already don't you think?" Came Utau's smirking response after a moment of processing that statement. Even though her voice and face were quite calm, he tense shoulders and straight back gave her away. Her fingers twitched for a weapon longingly at her side, showing she would like nothing better than to lunge forward an attack the fuming, arrogant child less than two meters away from her now. Tadase, watching cautiously as her hands tensed and loosened, gripped his scepter **(A/N: I think that is what it's called. That metal stick thing he's always holding. Ikuto: ...'Metal stick thing'?) **even tighter, never dropping his gaurd or letting his eyes leave her in case she suddenly attempted to overthrow or jump him. Utau began to circle around,much like a lion cornering her pray before the kill, forcing Tadase to begin to move to.

"Stop it." Amu demanded harshly, the tone in her voice proving she was deadly serious. Only Tadase hesitated for the shortest moment, still not looking away from the angry girl, but resumed squaring up to Utau when he saw she had no intention of stopping her movements anytime soon. "Stop it right now." She repeated slowly with more venom behind her words. This time Tadase did stop, but very slowly, keeping his distance.

"Hoshina-san." Said Kukai, signaling for her to also stop, as she hadn't payed attention to Amu's warning. His voice was strong yet not to demanding. Utau looked over to him, expecting him to be scowling or glaring. Frowning at least. Tadase was his friend and she did as ood as threaten him in front of everyone. But what she saw was deep emerald eyes staring deep into her own, silently asking her to stop, pulling of the ''Please-don't-do-this." look perfectly. She obeyed by breaking eye contact after a few more seconds, closing her eyes, crossing her arms and turning her back on him, Tadase and Nagihiko. Only Yaya, Rima and Amu could see her slightly pink face but had no time to think much more into it as Nikaido-sensei came running into the otherwise empty area.

"Change back," He demanded still breathing heavily from the run. "...now." He added sternly seeing as not one of the pupils recognise his presence. His voice was unusually stern. Utau cast him a side glance before the black bat wings vanished almost as fast as they had appeared. Uncrossing her arms, she walked up to Amu and Rima and murmured about seeing them later at lunch before storming over to Tadase, crown still sitting on his head.

"We'll finish this later, right now i suggest you apologize to Amu." She spat then stormed past him, not accidentally knocking into him as she went. Looking back over her shoulder as she walked she seen Kukai looking at Tadase as if he was contemplating walking over to him and knocking him out. She sighed and shook her head. When and how the soccer star stole her heart she'd never now. Nikaido-sensai quickly shuffled the students off to the school double doors, not mentioning that mornings events but chatting happily with Suu as Amu huffed about him getting her name wrong _yet again._

"Are you feeling okay Himamori-san?" he asked looking down into her frustrated face as they and the others walked.

"Stop that." she mutterd. "It's _Hinamori, _and im fine." Amu stated. Tadase looked over to her and was about to speak, but she saw his apology coming. She couldn't talk to him right stormed ahead of the group, giving up trying to figure out her friends behavior that morning. Her friends and teacher watched her back and she turned a corner,so did the concerned blue haired boy leaning casually against a locker on the same corridor.

**DURING CLASS**

Amu was sat with her head resting on one hand staring out of the window. She sighed. She knew Tadase had feelings for her. Everyone did. But she didn't expect him to act like _that, _she thought back to earlier that morning. The look in his eyes, he was furious. Amu knew he wouldn't be especially pleased, with Ikuto still working for Easter and all. But for him to be that angry? To actually say he doesn't tolerate it? She sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot this morning. Looking over to him she frowned. Sitting behind his desk, back straight, listening to Nikaido-sensai just like any other day. He looked over to her, feeling eyes boring into the back of his head, and made eye contact. She waited for him to look away pretending he hadn't seen her, but he held her gaze. Tadase gave her a sad, apologetic look before looking back to the front where the teacher was reading to class from a thick book. She looked back towards the window. He was being an entirely different person that morning. Almost attacking ... maybe he really was sorry?

After a while Amu's thoughts drifted else where. She thought about the day before, her and Ikuto kissing under the trees. She gave a small smile at the memory, a light blush dusting her cheeks. It was never thought Ikuto could _ever _love her back. She never thought they could be together.

_Am I good enough? _

She closed her eyes and looked down, that question was always there in the very back of her mind when she wasn't with had asked herself for what seemed like the 50th time in the last two days. Giving up trying to figure Ikuto's feeling out, her mind involuntary wandered to the problems they would both have to face.

_What if Easter found out?_

_What would they do?_

_Would they hurt Ikuto?_

_What if Tadase keeps acting different?_

_What if the relaionship between her and her friends is never the same?_

_What will happen with the Embryo?_

She opened her eyes, looking determined. They would just have to face their problems head on, together.

Word about her and Ikuto seemed to have spread quickly. Some girls in her class began to whisper and look over in admiration. Yet some looked over glaring at her when they thought no one was looking, but quickly dug their head back into their books when Rima or Utau turned to them, grinding their teeth. The boys in her class looked depressed and some slowly reached up to their head and took off their "Amu-Sama" headband and stuffed it into their bag. They could have gave up worshipping her...then again they could also have been scared whit-less of being attacked now that their dear Amu-Sama had an older boyfriend. Whispers of "What about Hinamori-san and Hotori-kun? I thought they were together!", "Maybe they were just friends after all.", "Maybe it didn't work out..." spread throughout the classroom. Amu groaned as the rest of the guardians, save Tadase, rolled their eyes in exasperation. She looked down into the school grounds. She could see the royal garden. And the place where the fight almost broke out. Utau didn't seem to collect herself as much as Tadase had. She was agitated. Not because of the staring pupils. No she was used to that. But because Tadase had wound her up again so much and there was really nothing she could do about it right then. She tapped her nails against desk quickly, giving up on that she started to claw at the desk instead.

"Will you_ stop that_!" Rima whispered annoyed.

"Stop what?" Utau whispered back.

"Attacking the desk!" She stated. "I'm _trying_ to read."

Utau looked down. She had almost made claw marks across the once smooth wood.

"Oh. Gomen." She said pulling her hand from the table. Nikaido looked up from his own desk to frown at Utau.

"Voice down, Hoshina-san." Utau just frowned right back and pretended to read again.

Amu smiled and shook her head. She must still be annoyed. Her smile faltered.

_"We'll finish this later..." _

What did she mean by that? Amu trailed her eyes over the surrounding school grounds below until her eyes rested on a near by tree. She was about to turn away when she saw a flash of blue. Her eyes quickly darted back as she tilted her head around the leaves. There it was flash of blue. Leaning forward in her desk she saw a blue cats tail flicking leisurely about.

_Ikuto._

She smiled as she saw the edge of the school uniform.

Utau was still annoyed and hadn't calmed down in the slightest.

_That stupid git. Who does he think he is? Trying to tell Amu who she can and can't see. Ugh, he gets on my nerves. Thinking he controls everyone. What is his problem? Pretending that he hates Ikuto because he still works for Easter, yeah right. He hates him because he's jealous...that's what this is! Baka. How does everyone Else put up with him? Doesn't help that he walks around thinking he owns the place! _She turned her head back to glare at the boy in question and continue her Tadase bashing. When she had got that out of her system a while later, she went to turn back to the front when she saw Amu leaning forward looking at something outside. Utau frowned for a little then she smirked, a trait she had no doubt picked up from her onii-san. Momentarily forgetting about her annoyance at Tadase she leaned over to the desk next to her and nudged Rima. she looked up mock-glaring at Utau, as she was just in the middle of reading a long paragraph.

"Utau, I've lost my place now!" She whispered curtly. Utau just rolled her eyes not knowing what else she expected. "I'm not reading all that again..." She sighed.

"Then don't." Utau put simply,shrugging while keeping her voice down too.

"What is it anyway? You've interrupted me twice now." She said, lifting her book a little higher in hopes that Nikaido didn't notice them talking. Utau just inclined her head quickly towards Amu who was still leaning forward slightly.

"What do you reckon she's looking at?" Utau smiled. Rima, knowing full well what she was doing, smiled at her two friends. Then Tadase, who sits quite close to Amu caught her eye.

"Lets just hope he doesn't ruin it for them." Rima said, her eyes burning holes into the top of the blond haired boys lowered head. Utau then remembered why she was angry in the first place. She picked up her book and began to read.

"I know he wont."

Rima raised an eyebrow. "You trust him all of a sudden now?"

Utau made a noise of disgust in the back of her throat, earning a near-by, confused boys head to snap up and look around. "No. I know this because we wont let him." She whispered turning her head towards Rima. She grinned back.

"Oh. I see."

They both looked over there shoulders to see Amu's face light up slightly and blush.

"He saw her." Utau stated, returning back to her book.

"Yup." Said Rima doing the same.

"Shhhh." Nikaido-sensai scolded the two, although he was smiling. He spotted Amu leaning forward and she quickly fell back into her seat grinning and scratching the back of her head, a lot like Kukai would. Nikaido looked out of the window the see Ikuto leaning against a tree looking up though the window Amu was sat near. Now he understood. All the guardians saw him looking out of the window, and turned to one another, with raised smiled warmly at them.

"Ne, Himamori-san?" He said loudly, causing Rima to glare at him for yet another interruption.

All the pupils heads snapped up. She frowned. "It's _Hinamori_, sensai." She added quickly. "...yes?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked not accidentally letting his eyes look through the window and out into the grounds where the blue haired neko still stood,arms folded. Amu followed his gaze her eyes widened.

"Uh...You mean...?" She began hoping for him to understand what she meant. He only nodded, the warm smile never leaving his face.

"Shouldn't you get going then, Himamori-san?"

She frowned at him before grabbing her bag of the back of the chair and picking up her blazer. She stuffed it into her bag as she walked past Tadase's mouthed to Nagehiko, "Wheres she going?" all Nagehiko mouthed back was "Ikuto." and Tadase understood. His head dropped slightly and he passed it off as leaning down to read the rest of the book. Amu walked past Nikaido and whispered,

"Thank you." before she smiled and hurried up out of the door. Her charas followed her before she closed it.

"Jeez Miki! You only wanted to get out of class because Yoru's out there." Ran sighed when they reached the corridor. Miki blushed and sped up."Ne, Amu-chan? Why are we out of class anyway?"

"To see Ikuto." Amu stated.

Ran stopped and shook her head. Then seeing no one else stopped she floated after them.

When she reached the single door at the side of the building, Amu suddenly felt nervous. Her hand shook slightly as the reached for the door handle.

"Amu-chan~Desu?"

"I'm fine." She smiled to her little green chara, who willfully smiled back.

But all nervousness left her when she stepped out of the school, blinking away the sun, and saw Ikuto. He was leaning against the tree he just vacated a moment ago. When he saw her he smiled and walked up to her. With the sunlight shining down on him, he looked even more handsome. His eyes even brighter than usual. She was snatched from her thoughts by Ikuto taking her hand in his own.

"Come on."

"Huh? Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see." Then he character changed again. Blue ears sat on the top of his head,his tail swishing behind him. The next thing he did surprised her. He leaned forward and scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off the floor.

"H-hey!"she stuttered, surprised. He just chuckled. She felt his chest move as he did so, thus making her blush more as she began smiling. He seemed more open these days. She became disheartened when she realised _why _he cant be completely open all the time. She jumped and almost screamed when he kicked of the ground and onto the low roof of the changing rooms behind the school. He kept making his way higher and higher, Amu had thrown her arms around Ikuto's neck by this time. He stopped at the roof and looked down into her hair was a mess and she looked flushed, she was frowning at him.

"What?" He tried to keep the humor out of his voice.

"Next time...warn me before you do that!" She half yelled,her face getting red. He laughed lightly and let her down as his ears and tail disappeared. Untangling her arms from his neck, she looked around. The roof was empty apart from them. She spotted a closed door then rolled her eyes.

"We could have just used the stairs you know." Amu said crossing her arms.

"We _could_ have." He shrugged as he walked to her side looking out over the school.

"I saw you in the corridor earlier." He said, obviously asking for an explanation as to why she looked so angry. Amu looked up at him before walking to the very edge of the building, she sat and let her legs dangle cautiously over. He followed her, waiting for her to reply. He rested his arms on an iron bar that ran around the roof, above Amu's head.

"What happend?"

After a pause she replied, "What makes you think something happened?" obviously trying to avoid answering. He sighed.

"Amu..." Ikuto let his arms fall down to his sides as he sat near her. "I've known you long enough to know when your unhappy. Tell me."

Amu leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her. They stayed like that for a while, each taking comfort in the other presence, when Ikuto heard quiet sniffing that quickly turned into muffled sobs. Amu turned her head into his chest and tried to fight off the oncoming tears. Ikuto stared at the top of her head for a second before draping his other arm around her back and pulling her into his lap. For a while they just sat there, Ikuto comforting her as cries wracked her small frame. He stroked the top of her head, kissing it from time to time but never spoke a word. She'd talk when she was ready. Finally, after what seemed like years Amu looked back up. Her cheeks were stained with tears. She felt them sting at the edges her eyes once more when she saw her own pain reflected in Ikuto's eyes. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Amu, whats wrong?" Not that he didn't have an idea.

_Her friends hadn't taken it well._

He inwardly sighed. What else had he expected? They obviously don't trust him. He didn't want to see her upset, it hurt him so much to see her cry. This was one of the many times he hated working for Easter. For them making him enemies with Amu. Not breaking eye contact Amu whisperd her reply, scared to speak any louder for fear of fresh tears falling once more down her face.

"I just wanted everything to be okay... just for once... I wanted everything to be right.." She curled into a ball in his lap and buried her head in his chest, seeking comfort there. His arms tightened around her back instinctively as another chocked sob escaped her lips.

"What did they say?" He whisperd back alomst as quietly. Amu shook her head against his chest before resting her cheek against it.

"Everyone _else_ was fine. Even Utau was happy." She said, her voice beginning to get more bold. He frowned.

"Utau? I didn't see her in the corridor." He mused to himself, "Wait, everyone_ else_? Then who...?" His face fell into a scowl.

"Oh." He said as he thought of the boy who once called him 'Onii-tan'.

Amu nodded once curtly frowning herself. Ikuto knew who she meant. They didn't have to say his name.

"So it was just him? _He's _the reason your crying?" He said through clenched teeth, fighting the urge to yell and curse. He had to keep calm, for Amu's sake at least.

Amu looked into his face, studying his reaction. "I guess...but Utau sorted him out," She thought back to her friends parting words as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand...

_"We'll finish this later."_

She sighed. "Or at least she intends to." Smiling to herself over Ikuto's confused look she filled him in on the morning events, he didn't interrupt. Just listened intently to her words, frowning at some points and fighting back laughter at others.

"...And that's probably when you saw me in the corridor." She finished. Ikuto seemed much more cheer full than he did earlier.

"I'm glad your friends took it well, they seemed happy for you. Hey, you really think Utau and Kiddy King are gonna have it out?" He laughed. Amu smiled.

"I'm not sure...I hope not." She added sternly when she caught him smirking.

"How did you get out of class anyway?" he asked resting the side of his head on top of hers.

"Nikaido-sensai suddenly said I could leave, not like I was doing much anyway I guess." She shrugged. "Damn, I should get back!" She almost jumped up, and out of Ikuto's arms when she realised how long she'd been gone. The school bell rang before she had the chance. Ikuto smiled.

"No point now." He almost laughed at her pouting face as she relaxed back into his arms.

"Hmm, I wonder where Miki and the others are..." She pondered out loud after a minute or so.

_That little blue chara..._

"That reminds me..."

"Of what?" She asked not moving in his hold.

"I saw that picture you drew." He murmured into her ear. "It was...amazing."

She froze. "Y-you seen the picture?"

"Last night when I was moving your bag, the book dropped open on that page. You don't mind do you?"

she shook her the fact her face was a brilliant red, she was happy he had seen it. And even more happy that he thought it was _amazing._ He reached under her chin and tilted her head up to face him. His lips brushed her briefly but enough to make her entire body tingle.

"Thank you." He said against her lips before he slowly broke away.

She looked back at him, still slightly dazed, into the blue depths of his eyes. "For what?" she whispered.

"For loving me back." He said smply, giving a smile that made her heart melt.

"Well in that case...thank you too." She said, smiling back.

He rested his head on her shoulder as she closed her eyes and got closer to him once more.

"Every thing's going to be okay, you know." He murmured his eyes also closed. She nodded.

"I know. It's gonna have to be." His arms tightened around her waist as they both listened to the sound of pupils walking about on the grounds below.

* * *

**Tehehehehehehehe...-grining madly-**

**Ikuto: Um...what are you doing?**

**heh...heh...hehh...I might have made people hate Tadase more in this chapter. Making poor Amu-chan cry! -glaring at cowering blond boy in the corner- heh..heh..I have you in my grasps Hotori. -Tadase shudders-  
**

**Inuyasha: I think she's gone insane from lack of sleep. -rolls eyes-**

**ZOMG INUYASHA! HAI!**

**Inuyasha: Yeah, hi. -Sweatdrop-**

**Okay so this chapter took a while...please don't kill me! But i added some Amuto-ness. You have to admit it WAS kind of cute ^^...well at least **_**I**_** think so. I know where this is going now too, so there's one good thing. But there's a problem... well two.**

**Ikuto: Being...?**

**Okay, so first is: Even though I know whats gong to happen, I have no idea how i get it there and it will take some time for me to figure it out. But remember the more ****REVIEWS**** I get giving thoughts on this chapter the less time it will take! ^^**

**Ikuto: And whats the second problem?**

**I... I forgot the second problem...heh. -grin-**

**Ikuto: Typical...**

**Please tell me if the way this is going now is okay! And ideas are appreciated, even ideas for little Amuto moments i can squeeze in! Oh and to yet again apologize I'll let any reviewer on this chapter hit Tadase with a stick, then we can all go eat cookies! ^^**

**Ikuto: ...-slowly walking up to Tadase with metal bat-**

**I said **_**stick**_** Ikuto -sweatdrop-**

**Me & Kagome : ****REVIEW PLEASE**^^

**ZOMG KAGOME! **

**Everyone: -sweatdrop-**


	5. Playing Happy Families

**Hey! Okay so **_TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, Angel Lilith, Kouhai x Sempai, Kazumiki chan1, angelitaramos2102, YingYangButterfly, Nikooru-sama, Helapayne and _**got to hit Tadase with a stick in the last chapter! ^^**

**Tadase: -groans-**

**Shut up Tadase. It doesn't hurt that much.**

**Ikuto: Yeah, but **_**someone**_** went a step further and hit him with a tree trunk. Tut tut tut.**

**Wow, Ikuto your scolding a reviewer over the **_**rules. **_

**Ikuto: Uh, yeah. I am. -High fives reviewer behind Gemma's back- Hey I wonder where she was keeping that thing anyway...**

**...You need help Ikuto. Seriously.**

**Ikuto: ...-shrug-**

**Oh and Tadase seems to have been kidnapped by someone elce too, his death seems imminent...**

**Ikuto: And I ...didn't help...in anyway -grins- **

**Right... well anyway, I would like to thank the ****REPEAT REVIEWERS**** especially. Because thanks to you guys I've been working hard on this fic!**

**Ikuto: Hinting to the other reviewers there Gemma?**

**No! But I **_**would **_**like to mention I've started a new Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic and the pairing is IchigoxRyou so if anyone is interested please take a look! Hey I've just noticed... your usually mean to me aren't you? I have a good mind to replace you with Tadase! **

**Tadase: -groans again-**

**When he recovers from his injuries that is. Jeez Tadase...suffer in silence! **

**Ikuto: Replace **_**me? **_**With **_**that,**_** -points to Tadase rolling around on the floor- you don't have the guts.**

**...Your right. -sigh- Oh can anyone tell me what day does the next Shugo Chara! manga comes out in english? Is it the 4th again? Oh and Ikuto if you leave Amu-chan I'll be forced to kidnap you. -Glare- **

**Ikuto: Hey, it's not like I **_**want **_**to go! Blame Peach-pit **(who we love very much!) **if I do.**

**Yeah yeah.**

**Tadase: -groans-**

**Shup up! -Gags Tadase-**

**Tadase: mff mhhm mrggh (Please ****REVIEW****!) ^^**

Art And Ikuto Chapter Five

_He rested his head on her shoulder as she closed her eyes and got closer to him once more._

_"Everything is going to be okay, you know." He murmured his eyes also closed. She nodded. _

_"I know. It's gonna have to be." His arms tightened around her waist as they both listened to the sound of pupils walking about on the grounds. _

The moment the bell sounded, Tadase grabbed his guardians cape and left,Kiseki following close behind, before hardly anyone elce were even our of their seat. Utau looked up just in time to see him disappear through the classroom doorway. She groaned. Looked like he was trying his best to avoid her_ already._

_'This might be fun..'. _Smirking she turned to Rima when she heard her speak.

"Looks like _he _was in a hurry to leave." She said, looking towards the quickly filling corridor.

"I wonder why." Utau smiled, faigning innocence. Rima just smirked.

"You aren't going to let this go are you?" Utau pushed her chair under the desk and picked up her book, about to return it to the front.

"Not really no." She sighed. "How long has it took Ikuto-nii and Amu to get together? I am not going to let a jealous child ruin this for them." Then she turned and made her way up to nikaido-sensei. Rima weighed that comment in her head. She was right. As Utau usually was. Tadase confessed his ''love'',she inwardly scoffed, to Amu after Ikuto started to pay attention to her. If he tried to ruin this for them now,Rima would definitely have to get herself involved. They have enough on their plate with Easter.

"Hey, Rima?" Came Utau's voice from the doorway. Rima turned,still at her desk, to look at her. She was leaning against the doorway. "You coming?" Rima nodded, smiling and walked upto her. When they got out into the corridor, Nagehiko, Kukai and Yaya were there waiting for them. Utau and Rima's chara's were already there with the others, talking and laughing from their place around the teenagers heads. "Same place as usual?" Nagehiko said as they both approached.

They nodded.

"Ahh, where's Amu-chii?" Yaya loudly cried.

"She didn't come back to class Yaya-chan." Nagehiko said.

"She'll still be with Ikuto-nii." Utau said as Rima nodded along with her words. Kukai's mouth formed a perfect 'o' shape.

"Ohh...so _that's_ what she was doing in class." Seeing everyone turn to him with raised eyebrows he continued, shrugging. "I saw her looking out of the window and moving around a lot and basically acting weird." Everyone apart from Yaya rolled their eyes.

"I wonderd what Amu-chi was doing too!" Everyone just smiled at the pouting girl and begna walking towards the stairs.

"Come to think of it, I didn't see Hotori leave class." Kukai said after a while to Nagehiko, who was walking by his side.

"I wonder where he is..." He replied, scratching the side of his face. Utau just scoffed and turned her attention else where as Rima said "Yeah, he left as soon as class finished. Never seem him move so fast." with a tiny smirk.

Kuaki just shrugged. "Maybe he'll catch up with us in a bit?"

"Maybe." Rima's smirk grew. If Utau still was annoyed with him he wasn't going to show his face anytime soon. He wasn't that much of an idiot in her book.

"Ne, minna!" Came a voice from behind them.

_'...I was wrong.'_

They all turned to see Tadase jogging up to them. Nagehiko glanced at Utau in time to see her look at him quickly before turning her glare to the floor. He moved to stand beside her. "Utau-chan?" he whispered.

"I'm fine." She said through clenched teeth. She looked up at Tadase once more before looking at Nagehiko. "He can't ruin this now." Nagehiko understood and just nodded.

"But don't be to-"

"I'm just being carefull." She cut him off. "I wont do anything rash..._too_ rash anyway."

"Okay..." he replied slowly. When Tadase caught up with them he started talking as he would everyday, making Rima slightly peeved. After a few minutes, everyone began to quickly glance at Utau before returning to look back at Tadase. Utau couldn't stand the false 'happy families' feel of the place so she turned and walked up the stairs, after a moment the sound of a heavy door slamming made everyone but Rima and Kukai jump. Kukai just closed his eyes and said,

"I was waiting for that."

"Aha." Agreed Rima looking at the stairs.

*

Slamming the door with all her strength, Utau closed her eyes and almost screamed out in frustration.

"That stupid jerk. Why isn't anyone elce annoyed with him?"

"Uh...I am if it helps?" Utau's eyes snapped open. She didn't see anyone elce on the roof.

"Amu?" She was sure she just heard her friends voice. _'Great, now I'm going mad.' _She muttered inwardly.

"Over here." Came a voice that sounded like Ikuto's. Utau spun around and looked over the the very edge of the building.

"Amu, Ikuto-nii." She sighed, thankful she wasn't going mad after all. She smiled and headed over towards them. Amu was still sat in Ikuto's lap, her bag laying on the floor next to them. They smiled back. _'He looks really happy.' _She noted to herself, taking in her brothers face. He looked calm and could smile without having to hold back for once. When she reached them she sat down in front of them leaving some space between them for her the stretch out her feet.

"Oi, who are you annoyed at?" Ikuto asked closing his eyes, and resting his head on Amu's, who in turn blushed. Utau looked at them both. Her best friend and her brother. Two of the most important people in her life. She smiled at the thought.

"Kiddy King." She stated.

Ikuto groaned. Amu smiled as she heard the vibrations go through his chest. Then she frowned.

"What's he done now?"

"Apart from annoy the hell outta me, I'm still annoyed at him for this morning." Utau said leaning back on her hands, looking up into the clouds. She felt much calmer when she was around these two. With just one of them there she felt at home. Her content smile fell slowly as she thought about the same where she had fought against Amu. For a stupid thing like not wanting to loose to her. It took a while for Utau to actually become friends with Amu at all. She didn't want to seem weak or needy, not did she want Amu to think she was only friends with her because she felt guilty for what she had done. But when Amu and the other guardians helped her with her latest concert, by using thier abilities to make it even more astounding, it proved how much they cared for one another. Then Utau thought to the times Ikuto and Amu had to fight. She had heard about their first meeting. At the construction site. He took the Humpty Lock and almost took her eggs, had she not ran at him and took them straight back. She fell that day. The could have died if she hadn't character transformed. Ikuto stood there, watching her fall. Utau could only imagine the look on his face. _That was before they knew each other. _She reminded herself. Ikuto had always felt guilty for letting her fall. She could see it in his eyes whenever it was mentioned. Then he started to feel something for her. Something he didn't understand and hadn't felt before. So to make up for watching her fall he turned up and caught her and helped her whenever he could. He went against his orders from Easter. That was dangerous for him. But she made it worth it. Just to see her happy and un-harmed would satisfy him.

"I wonder why he reacted like that..." Amu ponderd out loud from her place in Ikuto's arms. "Anou, where is everyone anyway?"

"I left them talking with Tadase."

"What? You actually stayed with Tadase after the way he acted this morning? I thought you were angry at him." Ikuto said with questioning eyes,boring into his sisters. She mock-glared at him.

"No you baka." He frowned at her, causing her to look smug. "We were heading for the stairs leading up here and he just...turned up." She shrugged.

"So that's why you slammed the door so hard." Amu confirmed.

"You can have that thing when it falls off." Ikuto said rolling his eyes. Utau just growled.

"Utauuuuuu!"

They all turned back to face the door as Iru and Eru came bolting towards them.

"Utau-chan..." Panted Eru. "You left us with those lot."

"Again." Added Iru, seemingly not bothered by the flying sprint they just done.

"Gomen." Utau said looking back at the sky. Iru looked like she was about to yell something but changed her mind and took her anger out on Eru instead. Ignoring the little charas yells, Amu asked,

"Is everyone comeing up here for lunch break?"

Utau opened one eye slightly to look her her. "Well this is where we were all heading before Tadase came along." This time both her eyes snapped open. "If he comes up here and-" she was interrupted by Eru rushing over.

"I think he is coming up here. Well at least that's kick I heard while we were down there." She floated away screaming as she avoided another fly kick sent by Iru. "Stop it!"

Utau groaned.

"Just ignore him." Ikuto advised her, sounding bored. Utau sat up pulling her hands from the concrete.

"You should be annoyed at him too." She complained.

"Why should I be when your annoyed enough for the two of us?" He asked yawning.

"Jeez, you aren't bothered by anything." She muttered. "I'm just looking out for you, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Arigatou Utau."

She turned to him and smiled alittle. Amu looked at the door. She sighed as she saw it opening.

"Try and stay calm, okay?" She begged her friend. Utau followed her gaze to the now fully open door.

"I'm not promising anything." She murmured not taking her eyes away from the top of the stairs.

Amu just shook her head, brow furrowing. She watched as the rest of the guardians walked out and looked around, probably for them. Yaya spotted them first and started jumping up and down while pointing at them.

"Uhh...I think they spotted us." Amu said,stating obvious.

"Tadase isn't with them." Ikuto said sounded relieved. Utau looked at them again. He was right. Tadase and Nagehiko weren't there. Rima was there right after Yaya and sat down between Amu and Ikuto, and Utau. Seeing her frowning and looking around she explained.

"He and Nagehiko went to the royal garden."

"Huh. Avoiding me now."She said then crossed her arms over her head and lay down, in a huff.

"I think we was right to be avoiding you for a little while. Still angry?" Kukai asked looking down into her face, as he sat next to her. She closed her eyes and nodded once sharply.

The group dissolved into their normal chatter up until the school bell alerted them of last lesson.

"Ah, I didn't get any lunch!" Yaya whined refusing to stand up.

"No one did Yuiki-san."Kukai said, getting to his feet.

"Kukai! Were friends, stop being to formal!" Yaya complained, rolling around on the floor, much to the amusement of Ikuto.

"Okay okay." Kuaki sighed. He looked down to the floor where Utau still lay, eyes closed. "Utau?" Her eyes slowly opened at the sound of her name. She had only ever heard him call her by her first name once. And that was when he was talking with someone else. When she looked up at him he held out his hand for her. Slowly she reached up and took it, and he helped her up. They stood there for another second, each feeling the others hand in theirs, before Yaya popped up with her phone taking closeup pictures with her camera. They both snapped their hands back and turned away, both faces red. Everyone smiled at the two. Everyone apart from Yaya who had started sulking about them not holding hands anymore.

"Let's go to class." Utau said, hurrying towards the stairs not looking at anyone. Ikuto chuckled and helped amu up. She took his hand, feeling brave. She began walking towards the door, with Yaya, Kukai and Rima following behind.

"Where are we going?" Ikuto asked. "I'm staying up here." Amu rolled her eyes.

"You're walking me to my class." She answered simply.

He just smiled and let her lead him down the stairs. They talked about anything and everything as they wandered through the corridor. They didn't have to make their way through any crowds because for some reason, that Amu couldn't figure out, everyone always seemed to make room for her.

_'Must be the outer character.'_ She inwardly muttered.

"Didn't think this through did you, _Amu?_" Ikuto breathed the last part in her ear. She looked sideways, up at him, after gasping at his breath tickling her ear.

"T-think what through?" She stuttered. Ikuto just smirked and nodded towards the whispering students admiring them all around.

"Oh." She sighed.

"Let them think what they want," He shrugged as they made it to her classroom door. "I'll see you when your class finishes." Then he leaned down and pecked her lips with his, effectively making her head spin. She nodded mutely as he turned and walk away. Amu stood their dazed.

"I'm really happy for you two." Utau said quietly from behind Amu, snapping her back to reality.

"Utau! You scared me." She said with her hand on her rising rapidly rising chest. She was bent over with one hand resting on the door frame helping her stay up.

Utau just laughed.

"Let's get inside." Amu grumbled.

*

Amu sauntered into her house after school.

"Tadaima..." She said to the empty hall way.

"Welcome home Amu-chan." Her mother smiled walking into the hall way with yellow washing up-gloves on. Amu just nodded and headed upstairs. Closing her bedroom door behind her, she swayed over to the bed and fell on top of it. She turned on her side and hugged a pillow to her chest before stuffing her face into the silk. She screamed in to the fabric. After five minutes of continuous muffled screams she finally tugged the pillow from her face. Her eyes trailed about her darkening room, when something at the balcony caught her eye.

"What are you doing?" The certain _something _questioned with a raised eyebrow, looking at her like she was insane.

Ikuto.

"Today was stressful okay?"She huffed. "What are you doing out there anyway? You just walked me home." Amu got up and walked over towards the balcony door, dropping the pillow as she went. She stepped out onto the balcony while he answered.

"Well,I would be leaving right now if i hadn't heard_ you _screaming."

"What? I wasn't that loud!" She retorted. But still even though her words seemed certain, her eyes suddenly became aware of her bedroom door.

"Don't worry, they wouldn't have heard you." Ikuto reassured her. She turned to him incredulously.

"But if you heard me-" She began. Ikuto just cut her off by pointing at his navy blue cat ears sat on top of his head. She hadn't noticed them in the dim setting sun.

"Ohh."

He shook his head at his girlfriend and kissed the top of her head. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." She smiled and nodded. He turned towards the balcony wall and gently leaped over it using one hand to keep him steady.

"You really need to lean to use the door." She whispered still smiling knowing that he could hear her. She heard his faint laughter as she started to close her balcony door. She slunk back to her bed. Laying down she felt an uncomfortable feeling in her chest. Gasping and pulling her hand towards her chest, she sat up quickly. It was gone almost as soon as it had came.

"Amu-chan? You okay?" Miki asked, popping her head out of her head at the sudden sound.

Amu just nodded with a confused look on her face. Shrugging it off she pressed her head against her covers and drifted of, hours earlier than she should have went to sleep.

"Today must have really took it out of Amu-chan~desu." Observed Suu, not yet in her egg.

"Mmfhh." Came Miki's reply from inside her own.

"And you too by the sound of it.~desu!" She laughed.

**Writing short chapters is really starting to annoy me now...**

**Ikuto: And us because you never shut up about it.**

**...Ta..das...**

**Ikuto: ...You wouldn't dare.**

**...TADASE!**

**Tadase: -shakes- H-hai?**

**You're helping me **

**Tadase: But I n-need to-**

**You'll help me or I'll hand you back over to the reviewers.**

**Tadase: Hai!**

**Ikuto: You can't be-**

**Okay now I definitely know how I'm going to get to my idea.**

**Tadase: ...Um, whats your idea, Gemma?**

**...Gemma what?**

**Tadase: Gemma...Sama -looks down-**

**That's better...but I'm still not going to tell you.**

**Ikuto: But you'll tell **_**me**_** right?**

**...no.**

**Ikuto: you're mean.**

**No **_**your **_**mean.**

**Tadase: No y-**

**Me & Ikuto: SHUT UP TADASE!**

**Tadase: ...O-**

**Ikuto: -glare-**

**Dia: ...PLEASE REVIEW!**

**And I'll let you make Tadase to do any -cough- evil -cough- bidding for until the next chapter! ^^**


	6. The Guardians Meeting

**Hi everyone! So Tadase had to be a slave to a few people, those people being: **_Helapayne, nene-chan & Cg2, Kazu chan, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, Nikooru-sama, Angel Lilith and angelitaramos2102._**_  
_  
Ikuto: Even though you kind of promised you wouldn't hand him over to the reviwers if he helped you in the last authors note.**

**Tadase: -nodding quickly-**

**That's not the point, Ikuto.**

**Ikuto: Don't get me wrong. I'm not taking sides with Kiddy King, but it was pretty mean what you did. I heard one person made him clean their entire house, and even worse, someone handed him over to a Tadase fangirl...a perverted Tadase fangirl.**

**Tadase: -Shudders-**

**...Ikuto, I think you're forgetting who writes this fanfic. There are loads of other people I can replace you with you know, there are loads of different pairings Amu could be in. -Shakes pen threateningly-**

**Ikuto: You...Gemma you can't. -glare-**

**-grins evilly- Oh, and don't you think the reviewers deserve to enjoy themselves? They do take the time to leave their thoughts and no one is forcing them too.**

**Ikuto: That reminds me. You can all have your priceless belongings back. -Hands random objects back to reviewers including a grandfather clock and a life-size model of Conway Twitty-**

**Ikuto! You bribed the reviewers!?**

**Ikuto: ...a little bit.**

**oh...now im heartbroken. I worked especially hard on this chapter too. -crying-**

**Ikuto: Don't you on all of them?**

**...Well, yes. But this chapter is important because it's beginning to lead up to 'The Idea'.**

**Ikuto: Whoa. 'The Idea' has capitals and stuff...must be important.**

**Are you being sarcastic?**

**Ikuto: -Shifty eyes- No.**

**...Oh you'll see. -pointing dramatically-**

**Ikuto: Right...**

**It took ages to get this chapter up! kept saying something about an error and it woudn't let me update and I was sat there like "OMG NUUUU~! Let me update...NAO!" But it didn't work...**

**Ikuto: Well that was a lovely story Gemma.  
**

**Oh, Thanks Ikuto! ^^ I would like to remind reviewers that I said they could hit Tadase with a STICK. Not a tree trunk. Not a chainsaw. And I would also like to tell the kind readers that I have a new Shugo Chara! oneshot. It is slightly Tadamuto because I was going for something new.**

**Ikuto: Oh. Any ideas are still welcome for this, especially ones for small amuto moments. Or maybe even anti-Tadase/Tadamu moments too.**

**And here i was thinking you were sticking up for little Tadase a few moments ago.**

**Ikuto: Times change, Gemma. Times change...**

**Yeah. I still don't own Shugo Chara! But please enjoy! Even if it is a little OCC.**

**Tadase: P-please R-REVEIW! -Shaking from encounter with reviewers-**

**(* Going to a differant place or time.)**

* * *

Art And Ikuto Chapter Six

_  
"You really need to lean to use the door." She whispered still smiling knowing that he could hear her. She heard his faint laughter as she started to close her balcony door. She slunk back to her bed. Laying down she felt an uncomfortable feeling in her chest. Gasping and pulling her hand towards her chest, she sat up quickly. It was gone almost as soon as it had came._

_"Amu-chan? You okay?" Miki asked, popping her head out of her egg at the sudden sound._

_Amu just nodded with a confused look on her face. Shrugging it off she pressed her head against her covers and drifted of, hours earlier than she should have went to sleep._

_"Today must have really took it out of Amu-chan~desu." Observed Suu, not yet in her egg._

_"Mmfhh." Came Miki's reply from inside her own._

_"And you too by the sound of it.~desu!" She laughed. _

(*)

Amu woke up early the next morning. Still tires from a light sleep, she lay there, not sure of what to do. She tried forcing herself back into her dreams by snapping her eyes shut but quickly gave up. She stared up at the ceiling, finding loose patterns in the intricate design. For minutes, Amu lay still, not bothering to untangle her fingers from her pink hair. Her eyes dragged lazily towards the balcony, where flecks of early morning light were just starting to break though the dark sky and pouring through the glass. Amu was content to stay there for much longer and shut her eyes. It was such a peaceful morning. That is until,

"Amu-chan! Amu-chan!" Ran began cheering in front of her nose. Groaning, she pulled the pillow from under her head and covered her face with it. She vaguely heard the muffled voice of one of her other charas scolding Ran, and telling her to,

"Leave Amu-chan alone so early in the morning ~desu." She also heard Miki demanding that...

"Everyone should _shut up_, or else." Deciding she would never get back to sleep now, Amu finally gave up on the idea. Opening her eyes, she sat up quickly and was about to swing her legs over the side of the bed, when she thought she felt something cold and smooth against her bare feet. Hoping that she had imagined it, Amu moved her feet around again, slower this time. At first all she felt was the soft, familiar feel of her bed sheets. Until she came across the cold, smooth object again. Amu visibly paled.

"Amu-chan?" Spoke Ran, trying to coax a response out of her. Amu as good as ignored her. Even when Ran waved her tiny hands rapidly in front of her wide eyes.

"...Can't be." Amu croaked eventually.

"What can't be what?" Asked a confused Miki. Amu's strange behavior seemingly ripping the little chara out of her snappy mood. Saying nothing but jumping out of bed, Amu tore the covers away from the mattress. Muttering "No way..." over and over as she did so. There sitting nestled at the bottom of her bed was exactly what she had expected. She didn't know whether she _wanted_ to expect it, but expected it all the same; Itwas an egg.

"What?" Gasped Ran as Miki and Suu cautiously floated closer, getting a better look. The egg look similar to all the other chara's. Apart from the fact it was purple and instead of a clover or a diamond around the middle, there was a cross.

"Another egg ~desu?" Suu turned to peer at her owner, confusion evident across her small face.

"How can one person have so many eggs?" Miki whispered to the room. Amu, who had been silent apart from the occasional murmur of disbelief, reached down and slowly picked the new egg up.

"I th-think I should ask the guardians about this." She stammered, turning the purple tartan egg over carefully in her hands. The others just nodded in response. Finally looking down, she realised she was still in her school uniform. She mentally slapped herself.

"I better not be making a habit of this." She muttered, motioning to her clothes with her free hand. She walked back towards her bedside table where the basket all her charas slept in was, and placed the new egg next to Dia's.

'I wonder what she'll be like...'

Apparently pulled out of her state of shock by the rumbling of her stomach, Amu took a shower, got changed and grabbed some breakfast. It was still relatively early but she was ready to leave. Without anything else left to do, she placed Dia's egg and the new cross egg in her bag and headed towards the door. Upon reaching it she was forces to drop the handle from her grasp when she heard her mothers voice.

"Amu-chan? It's too early for school isn't it?" Amu looked at the bog clock hanging near the doorway. She had another half hour before she even had to set off.

"_I knew it!_" Screamed her father, running out into the hallway, tears streaming down his face. "My beautiful Amu-chan is running off, leaving her only loving father, to go meet up with a _boy_!" Then he dramatically threw himself onto the bottom step weeping. Ami, who was on that very step a second ago had to jump out of the way. She started to pat his back sympathetically. There was a moment where everyone just blinked at the grown man sobbing on the stairs, while his youngest daughter comforted him.

"...Right." Amu rolled her eyes and then said goodbye to her mother. Taking a deep breath, the pink haired girl stepped out into the bright new day.

(*)

"I knew it was way too early," Complained Ran as Amu tugged furiously at the royal garden door. "Of course it wouldn't be unlocked ye-"

Amu frowned at her, signaling the pink chara's cue to stop talking. Giving up, Amu let go of the door handle and slid down the side of the building, her back pressed against it. She leaned her head back and hugged her knees to her chest.

"We'll just have to wait then wont we?" Amu yawned. It was another warm day so she removed her blazer and threw it in her bag hanging around her wait. Miki sat down next to Amu and began to draw, Suu began a conversation about the weather with a nearby squirrel, and Ran was rushing around looking for a way to entertain herself for a while. Amu reached into her bag and pulled out her newest egg.

"Hey Miki?" She hummed.

"Yeah?" Miki replied, not taking her eyes away from her sketch book. She was currently adding more detail to the drawing of Yoru she drew days before. It seemed so long ago to her now.

"How can it be possible for someone to have so many eggs?" Amu breathed, examining the egg once more in her hands. Miki turned her head to look up at her.

"I don't really know, depends on how many would-be selves you have I guess..." She said, frowning at the egg as if expecting all the answers to burst our from it. No such thing happened. Amu sighed.

"Probably."

She closed her eyes, while slowly placing the egg back, and let the sun dance across her face.

"Good morning Amu-chan."

The sudden sound made her jump.

"Ah! Good morning..." She raised her head to look up. "Tadase-kun."

(*)

"...But you were blushing, Utau." Insisted a smug looking Rima on her walk to school.

"I was not." Utau stared across the street, avoiding Rima's scrutinizing gaze on her face. "And what are you looking at?"

"Your blush." She stated,smirking.

Utau stopped dead and ground her teeth together. "I don't blush." She protested. Rima sighed, sounding exasperated.

"Come on Utau, just admit it." Seeing Utau turn away, she stepped closer. "You even go red when someone mentions his name." She dropped her smirk, and began staring at her friends back waiting for some sort of reaction. After a while, Utau slowly turned around, apparently after regaining her usual composure.

"Rima, I do not like Kukai." She said slowly and clearly.

"First name basis too..." She murmured, smiling as she carried on walking to school. Utau stood where she was, glaring at her back as some seconds ticked by.

"You're impossible." She said just loud enough for Rima to hear, as she started to catch up with her. Rima just laughed quietly to herself. She could never have been like this with the old Utau. The one with all the walls around her. She wouldn't let herself get close to hardly anyone, and even when she did she was cautious. She was so much happier now that she was away from Easter. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, waiting for her to catch up. The streets were steadily filling up. Mainly made up of students making their way to school. or adults making their way to work.

"But you know," Rima started as Utau made it too her side. "If you did like Kukai," She held up her hand to stop Utau's oncoming denial. "If you did, you could tell me. You know that, right?" She inclined her head towards her friend, waiting for her response. Utau's eyes softened a little and her small frown abandoned her face entirely. She turned to Rima and smiled.

"I know that," She told her quietly. "Thank you, Rima." She said sincerely. Rima just smiled back and nodded. They walked in a comfortable silence, in which they were just simply enjoying each others company, when Rima broke it by groaning. Utau raised an eyebrow at her without saying a word.

"Guardian's meeting this morning." She clarified.

"I thought you enjoyed those things?"

"I think you're forgetting who the king is." She almost rolled her eyes at the words. "He'd better keep his comments to himself today."

"Well you can get digs in on him while you're there, and you get to skip first lesson." She shrugged. "Doesn't sound that bad to me, plus Amu and everyone will be there too."

"Yeah, I guess when you put it like that..."

They stopped in front of the schools main entrance.

"Why don't _you_ come to the meeting?" Rima, asked.

"I'm not a guardian." Utau stated.

"So? You know about the eggs, right?" There was no reply. "Come on, worried about missing an hour of Nikaido-sensei getting your name wrong? You're there when we're _not_ in a meeting so you might as well."

"Fine." Utau shrugged after a pause. Rima smiled and made her way towards the royal garden.

(*)

"Amazing..." Tadase murmured, staring at the purple egg in Amu's hands. "So it's true."

Amu frowned and looked over the the side.

"I'm not a liar, you know." She muttered.

She didn't know if she had the right to still be a little bit angry with him for yesterday. All she knew was that she was. Amu looked back at him.

'Look at him. Acting like nothing happened.'

She frowned deeper. He had said Ikuto shouldn't be trusted. He made it sound like Ikuto was using her to get to the guardians. Amu knew Tadase was wrong. He also would have gotten into a fight with Utau if Nikaido-sensei hadn't shown up in time. He had absolutely no reason to act the way he did. None of this had anything to do with Tadase. She had thought for a long time that she liked him,as most of the brainless girls in the school did. But she hadn't known him at the time. All she knew was his name and thats it. When she realised she was starting to like Ikuto, maybe even love him, she felt so stupid thinking what she felt for Tadase could even compare to that. And now when she and Ikuto confess to each other and everyone is happy, he offends her boyfriend and her best friend. Of course she had a right to be mad. He was purposely trying to hurt the people she loved.

The egg in her hands twitched.

"Ah!" She gasped, jumping. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't drop her egg.

"What was that? Did it just move?" Tadase asked, staring at the egg, looking anywhere but at her.

'And now he wont even look me in the eye.'

"Yeah." She spat, a little more venomous than she had wanted, But hey, it got the job done. It caused him to finaly look up at her.

"You're angry." He observed solemnly, looking down again. Amu sighed. She wouldn't usually act like this towards him, but she couldn't act any other way right now.

"Can you really blame me?" She said sadly. She honestly did not want to be mad at him, she hated the twisting in her chest whenever she got upset. Although, something inside of her compelled her to be. He said such spiteful things about the only person she has and will ever really love. Ikuto understood her, much more than anyone ever has in her life. Even more than her own parents. Why couldn't Tadase be happy for her. Everyone knew he liked her. Or in his words "loved" her. If he really did care about her that much wouldn't he put her feelings first?

"I'm sorry for yesterday." He whispered down at the floor. He looked ashamed.

'Well, he should be.'

Amu pushed that thought aside as she shook her head as his words. "No you're not." His head snapped up. "You meant every word you said." She whispered slowly, looking away from him.

"Amu-chan-"

"Have you got the key?" She interrupted, effectively cutting him off. He looked hurt as he nodded. She just couldn't find it in her to care. She desperately wanted to, to get a bit of normality in her day at least. His words had stung her, but he would never understand something like that. The pain he felt was nothing compared to what she felt when she found out her friend couldn't stand the thought of her being happy with someone else. How dare he? He even demanded that they shouldn't be together. And when Utau had stood up for them, he turned into a differant person. Amu hadn't seen him like that before. Was that the real Tadase? The sound of a lock clicking on the royal garden door brought Amu back to the present. Without a word to her, Tadase walked though the doors and towards the small stairs.

Recently there was more chairs scattered around the small table. Everybody still classed Kukai as a Jack, and it really helped Nagehiko out alot considering Kukai done half of the work. He was also there for all the meetings they had. Another reason there was usually extra chairs around was for whenever Utau decided she knew enough about a subject to skip the lesson. Not only did she have an excuse but she got to spend time with her friends too. Thats a pretty good day in Utau's opinion. Unlike Kukai, Utau was never around for the meetings. She usually found them to sound quite boring. What with everyone sitting around a table, sipping tea and talking about other people's heat eggs or school affairs.

Amu stood outside, the prospect of being alone with Tadase and an awkward silence was not particularly appealing to her right about now.

(*)

"If you keep trailing behind then I wont let you in when you eventually get there." Complained and agitated Rima, as if she was talking to an infant. Utau just made a small "Hmph." sound as she shrugged, looking bored already.

"You know Rima, all you've done ever since you turned up at my house this morning is complain or try to wind me up." Anybody else standing around the two would have thought Utau was was angry or bitter towards the other girl, but Rima could plainly see a tiny smile tugging at her face. Rima rolled her eyes, smiling too.

"Yeah, I apologize, I'm sorry."

Utau smirked at Rima and began to catch up yet again, that is until she saw a boy from the school's fencing team stop to stare at her, mouth open, eyes wide. "These people should really get used to me going to their school." She muttered quietly to no one. Frowning, she crossed her arms.

"I'd still be here if you blinked, you know." She reminded him cooly. The boy turned red and bolted in the other direction as Utau walked past him.

(*)

Meanwhile.

"Hey." Someone breathed in Amu's ear huskily, making the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. She spun around, finding herself face to face with Ikuto.

"Morning." she smiled, quietly. Noticing how close their faces were she let a tiny blush grace her features. He smiled and pushed a stand of pink hair out of her eyes and behind her ear, letting his fingertips brush the side of her face as he did so.

"Why are you stood outside when the doors wide open?" She didn't want to tell him it was because Tadase was in there and that she was still a little angry at him.

"I'm waiting for everyone else." It was partly true, despite the fact that she had no other choice to wait for them. Apart from the obvious choice of sitting alone with Tadase, and she just couldn't face that yet.

"Amu!"

They turned away from each others faces to see Rima and Utau walking swiftly towards them.

"Good morning." Amu greeted them.

They both smiled at her and Ikuto in return. After a few minuets of talking about anything, Amu eventually remembered about her new egg, monetarily forgetting due to the appearance of Ikuto. She took it out to show the three.

"You have_ five_ eggs now?" Ikuto asked, a little taken back. Amu just nodded, silently.

"Has she hatched yet?" Rima asked quietly, watching the egg.

"No, net yet." She answered, as she too looked down upon the egg. She shrugged and put it back in its place near Dia.

"Why do you have so many eggs anyway? I thought three was enough." Utau announced.

"Miki said something about having afew would-be selves." Amu shrugged again.

"Have you got one of those meeting things this morning?" Ikuto asked them. Rima and Utau nodded.

"And aren't I looking forward to it." Utau sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Don't go then." Ikuto said raising an eyebrow.

"And risk being sat behind a desk listening to Nikaido drone on about some dead Romans for an hour? No thanks."

"Suit yourself." He shrugged. Then he leaned down to kiss Amu.

"I'll be on the roof at lunch." He whispered against her lips after a very long moment in which they just kissed the other. They broke away and he sloped of towards the building, hands in pockets, with Yoru speeding round the corner of the royal garden.

"IKUTOOO~NYAAAA!" He yelled, rushing after him.

* * *

**Phew, finally finished!**

**Ikuto: ...oh yay.**

**Wait. I have a bone to pick with you!**

**Ikuto: What!?**

**Guess what, Ikuto? I read the latest Shugo Chara manga!**

**Ikuto: Oh crap.**

**Damn right 'oh crap' ...You_ left_! You told Amu you loved her and_ then you left_! You know what happened to me after that!?**

**Ikuto: ...no, why what happened?**

**I got stuck between going into crazy fangirl mode and going into the emo corner for the rest of the month!**

**Ikuto: Sorry.**

**Sorry isn't good enough! It turns out i've been doing _both_ this past week!**

**Ikuto: Hey I _did_ kiss Amu on the cheek before I left! And it was _really_ close to her lips!**

**...**

**Ikuto: So now you can't complain.**

**Hell yeah I can!**

**Ikuto: ...Okay, you can a little.  
**

**But I know what will make me feel better.**

**Ikuto: Oh really? -smirk-**

**Don't be so perverted...although if your into that then may-**

**Ikuto: You're the perverted one if you knew what I was thinking!**

**I...I... -backing towards back door- I have no Idea what you mean! I have to...**

**Ikuto: To what? -suspicious-**

**...HI AMU!**

**Ikuto: OMG WHERE? -franticly looking around-**

**-everyone hears the back door slam, a broke down car engine refusing to turn on and Gemma yelling from outside- ...OH DARN IT!**

**Ikuto: She sucks at making escapes. -yells out window into parking lot- NEXT TIME CHECK THE CAR ACTUALLY _WORKS_!**

**-everyone faintly hears:- SHUT UP CAT BOY!**

**Ikuto: Anyway can I remind everyone that idea's for Anti-Tadase/Tadamu moments would be really really helpful. And any other ideas would be great.**

**Tadase: No it wouldn't.**

**Ikuto: ...**

**Tadase: ...I'm sorry I'll be quiet.**

**Ikuto: Good and get back to the corner that Gemma gave you.**

**Tadase: The one with the cage?**

**Ikuto: That's the one.**

**Tadase: But Gemma-sama's not here so...**

**Ikuto: ...-glare-**

**Tadase: I'M GOING, I'M GOING!**

**Ikuto: Good. Please review and give us virtual money! We need more anti-freeze for Tadase's food.**

**Tadase: More what!?**

**Ikuto: Nothing nothing...**


	7. Forcing Hearts Eggs?

**Thank you; **_Kazu chan1, Angel Lilith, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, Cg2 & Nene _

**Ikuto: Yeah, now thanks to you we can spike Tadase's food!**

**yeah!**

**Tadase: Yeah! Wait...**

**But remember **_TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi _**if anyone asks why you robbed that bank don't mention me or Ikuto...**

**Ikuto: Not that we have anything to hide or... anything. -whistles-**

**-Gemma whistles while leaning on pile of money casually-**

**Tadase: But didn't you two both ask for money of the reviewers? **

…**You know what Tadase. This is the reason you'll never get a girlfriend.**

**Ikuto: I don't think he wants a **_**girl**_**friend, Gemma.**

…

**Ikuto: What?**

…**That wasn't cool Ikuto.**

**Ikuto: What!? I'm just saying that the kids got a thing for me.**

**Tadase: I HAVE A THING FOR YOU?**

**Ikuto: See! -pointing dramatically at Tadase-**

**Tadase: I wasn't saying that I-**

**Oh yeah. And he does say he "Hates" you. Oh my god… -shifty eyes-**

**Tadase & Ikuto: What?**

**-Whispers- I think he feels sexual tension towards you.**

**Ikuto: … -edges away from Tadase- **

**Tadase: Um, where are you going?**

**Ikuto: No offence Tadase. But you're not my type.**

**Yeah. Amu is his type. **

**Tadase: …I hate you both! -storms off towards his cage with Queen's I Want To Break Free playing in the back ground-**

**Ikuto: He feels it towards you too now?**

…

**Ikuto: …Gemma, what are you doing on the floor?**

**Please review… -dead-`**

Art And Ikuto Chapter 7

"Are we going inside then?" Rima asked Amu, walking towards the door. Utau was about to follow her when Amu spoke up.

"Um, I was thinking that we could just stay out here for a little bit longer?" She said quietly.

Utau raised her eyebrow as her eyes darted from the open door to Amu. "Tadase?"

Amu looked down at the floor.

"Thought so." She stated leaning her back against the wall, closing her eyes. Rima groaned and made her way from the doorway to stand with her friends. It was a while before the other guardians turned up. First was Nagehiko and Yaya, and then finally Kukai showed.

"Why is everyone stood outside?" He questioned after saying hello to everyone there. Nagehiko just shrugged.

"Come to think of it where's Hotori-kun?" He said looking at Amu.

"He should be inside." She said avoiding his gaze. Nagehiko nodded, not bothering to ask why she wasn't sat inside with him.

"Lets go then."

Everyone nodded and followed him inside the royal garden. "Good morning, Hotori-kun." He said to the seemingly empty place.

"Ah," Tadase walked from the side of the room, teacup in hand. "Good morning, Fujisaki-kun." Tadase nodded to everyone else.

(*)

A purple tartan egg sat in the centre of the guardians' table, surrounded by charas. The guardians were sat around said table, as all their charas but Kiseki tried to coax the egg open.

"Hello ~desu?" Suu sang, her little hands tapping against the egg softly.

"We can play when you hatch!" Shouted Kusukusu flying around rapidly.

The guardians all smiled at their efforts. As soon as Kiseki saw the new egg he fell silent and disappeared after no one was paying any attention to him. Yaya was leaning forward, her arms stretched in front of her with the side of her face pressing against the table.

"Ne, Amu-chi? Are you sure it's yours?" She pondered, looking thoughtful.

"Who else's would it be, Yaya?" Amu asked shaking her head, smiling.

Yaya sat up. "Well you have four already." She pouted. "I've only got Pepe-tan."

Said chara looked up from the egg to stare at her owner. "Ah, but I love you a lot Pepe-tan!" Yaya said waving her hands about.

Pepe nodded and turned back to the egg. Yaya breathed a sigh of relief and lay her head back down the table. Everyone but Utau laughed; she rolled her eyes instead.

"When did you get it?" Kukai asked Amu from the other side of the table. Amu tilted her head sideways a little.

"Well, either this morning or really late last night."

Kukai nodded. "Geez, I wish I had that many charas."

"I wonder how long she'll take to hatch." Miki piped up from her place, sat near the cross egg. "Dia hasn't even hatched yet." It was true. She came out of her egg from time to time, but always went back after a few minuets. But that was probably something to do with the fact that an 'X' had once appeared on her.

"I wonder what kind she will be?" Rima asked before sipping her tea.

"It wont be long before we find out." Tadase said, his voice earning a secret glare from Utau. When he didn't realise that she was looking at him, she gave up and put her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. When the guardians had finished discussing the cross egg and asking Amu pointless questions about it, they moved onto any school business they could think of. Utau sighed and rested her head on her folded arms above the table.

"I think I'd rather be in lessons." She mumbled into her forearm. Rima who was sat on her left just rolled her eyes at her. While Amu who was sat on her other side, smiled. Utau was echoing her thoughts. She was sat there, stirring her now ice cold tea with a teaspoon, she didn't know how long she had been doing it. Yaya looked like she was about to drift off to sleep when Tadase got everybody's attention.

"And finally, now that we have everything else out of the way, this is the most important thing was have to discuss. There's something new going on with the X eggs." This made Utau open her eyes to scrutinise the boy, then sit up.

"What _kind _of new things?" She queried.

"Well," He began as everybody else also sat up to pay attention to his words. "Do you remember when De Morcerf Lulu-san drew out the ? Eggs?" Amu, Nagehiko and Yaya nodded, while Kukai, Utau and Rima looked on with appraising eyes.

"I believe that somehow the children's hearts eggs are becoming so backend that they can be drawn out without the help of anyone else."

"So…they are forcing out their own hearts eggs?" Nagehiko asked incredulously. Tadase nodded.

"But it gets worse." This sparked Utau's interest. Completely forgetting how bored she was moments ago, she spoke.

"How could it be worse?"

He focused on her. "I have reason to believe that the same kind of thing is happening with the X eggs as it did with the ? Eggs."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rima quizzed putting down her cup.

"It means that kids are transforming with their X eggs." Everyone turned to look at Kukai. "Right?" Kukai asked Tadase.

"…Yeah, that's right." Tadase concluded, looking confusedly at Kukai.

"I thought so," Kukai mused.

"What made you think that?" Nagehiko piped up, tilting his head in interest.

"Well, Last night me and Daichi spotted some bright light coming from an alley way on the way home from soccer practise. So we followed it and we came across this girl, don't know who she was, but she was in the middle of transforming with an egg."

"An X egg?" Yaya pondered.

"Yeah." He nodded. Daichi appeared next to Kukai's head.

"Then she shouted something like 'Night Dancing Dream' and attacked us!" The small chara yelled. "She started all this kicking and jumping."

"It was hard to keep up with her." Kukai added.

Everybody just gazed at Kukai and his chara, taking in what they were saying. "How did you make her change back to normal?" Utau asked him after remaining silent for a long time.

"That's the thing," He confessed. "We didn't."

"What?" Exclaimed Yaya and Amu, both leaning forward in their seats.

"Yeah, she got away." He explained, itching the back of his neck looking regretful.

"There's more than one of these cases, too." Tadase broke in to the conversation. "Kiseki seen another girl transformed with an X egg too."

There was another silence. A long one.

"What do we do?" Amu worried out loud to the room. No one answered. Everyone just sat in silence wondering the exact same thing.

(*)

"Transforming with X eggs?" Ikuto echoed. Amu nodded. She and Utau had taken to filling him in on the meeting, skipping the usual boring bits he didn't need to know about. Tadase didn't exactly approve of them telling Ikuto what happened in their meeting, but a sharp comment from a more than willing Utau soon made him back down. Everyone was sat on the roof for lunch. But the only difference was that Tadase and Kukai were sat further away from the rest of the group than they usualy would.

"Stupid little…" Muttered Utau, frowning at Tadase. "That Jerk still hasn't apologized to me…" She continued, with loads more colourful words spilling from her mouth surrounding the blond teenager. Ikuto rolled his eyes at his sister as he pulled Amu closer to him. She hugged him to her and closed her eyes.

(*)

Amu yawned on her way home from school, after saying goodbye to Ikuto. That last lesson had really took it out of her. She had to put up with Tadase and Utau arguing about who should be aloud to hear about the guardians meetings all the way there.

"_I don't give a damn what you think!" Utau screamed in Tadase's face._

"_I don't care, You shouldn't have told him!" He yelled right back._

"_I will tell whoever I want to tell, especially considering he's my brother!" Amu began to rub her forehead. However the three ended up walking to class together she would never know. They were walking down the corridor, both shouting over the top of Amu's head at each other, ignoring the baffled stares. _

'_He's doing it again…' Amu though to herself. 'Being a completely different person.'_

"_He may be your brother but he still works for Easter." Tadase reminded her unkindly. "And that still makes him an enemy to the guardians, we can't trust him and we don't know what his intentions are." Utau stopped. Making Tadase stop and stare at her. _

"_He's _not _an enemy. He doesn't work for Easter by choice." She spat, and stormed past the two. Tadase turned to Amu with a 'Can-you-believe-that-just-happened' look on his face. _

"_Don't you dare look at me like you're not the one to blame here." She threatened. Tears of anger stung her eyes._

"_Amu-ch-?" _

"_Don't. All you've done since you found out about me and Ikuto is made snide comments or say unforgivable things about him. You've upset me and you've upset Utau …you don't even seem to care." Amu declared loudly, making Utau stop at the end of the corridor._

"_I don't when I'm telling the truth about him!" He yelled. He sounded annoyed that she didn't understand._

The feeling of an egg twitching near her leg made her snap out of her thoughts, and stop walking. She looked in her bag. The egg was in fact still moving. Was it going to hatch now? She kept watching. Eventually the egg's movements died down. She sighed. Why did it keep doing that?

_Suddenly it went deathly quiet. The few students in the corridor appeared to be listening intently to their heated conversation. They all knew who Tadase was talking about. The good looking Tsukiyomi Ikuto who was dating the cool and spicy Hinamori Amu. They just didn't know the reason they were arguing about this. Jealously most likely. They didn't have a chance to discuss it amongst themselves because the sharp sound of a harsh slap echoed off the narrow walls all around them. Everybody's eyes slowly travelled to Amu and Tadase. Amu was breathing heavily, one hand still upraised and near her face, fighting the angry tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Tadase on the other hand didn't look like he was breathing at all. He was forced to face away from her due to the sheer force of the slap she delivered to him. He looked shocked. His eyes wide. Slowly he lifted a hand to his stinging face as his eyes flashed to her hand. Amu looked surprised too. She stared at her hand before pulling it to her side. _

"_Amu-chan…" He breathed, looking disgraced._

"_I…" She was about to apologize when a thought hit her. "I'll never apologize for something I meant to do." She whispered to him. Before running after Utau._

"I can't believe I _slapped _Tadase-kun…" Amu murmured. Miki just shrugged.

_Amu found Utau sitting on top of her desk in the otherwise empty classroom, her face turned away from the door, bangs covering her eyes. Amu slipped inside and closed the door behind her. The soft thud made Utau glance at Amu, but then she turned away again. Amu walked over to her, stopping in front of her desk. She saw a small glimpse of a tear trickle down the side of her face, but her expression look normal. Her eye were filled with pain as she looked Amu in the eye. _

"_He's not like that…" Utau whispered. "Ikuto isn't…"_

"_I know." Amu reassured her, quietly. She began to slowly rub her thudding hand. If her hand was starting to sting then she had no idea how much it would have hurt Tadase. _

"_You sapped him." Utau tried to laugh, biting back another tear. Amu laughed too whilst nodding. They fell quiet. Both thinking the same thing._

"_I just don't want anyone to hurt him, Amu." She whispered again. Amu nodded, while Utau fought a sob. Then Utau did something unexpected. She slowly reached out for Amu and pulled her closer. She was still sat on the desk, so she wrapped her arms around Amu's neck. Amu was shocked. Utau had never needed anyone like she did then. Amu returned her hug, fighting the urge to cry herself. Ikuto had suffered too much in his life for someone like Tadase, someone who could never understand what it's been like for him, to start treating him like he didn't mean anything to anyone. When in fact, he meant the world. The two girls hugged each other up until the bell signalled it was time for last lesson. They had both regained their outer characters by then and carried on with the day, as they usually would. _

Amu almost gave into tears once more as she thought about that. But soon enough she forced her thoughts to drift to the meeting that had caused even more controversy between Utau and Tadase that day.

"X character transformations…" She marvelled quietly.

"I've never heard of those before today." Miki suddenly announced, making Amu jump.

"What do you thinks causing it?" Amu asked her chara.

"Maybe someone _is _involved after all?" Miki answered with her own question. Amu bit her lip as words rung in her ears.

"_He's _not_ an enemy. He doesn't work for Easter by choice."_

**Okay, I accept it will probably be OOC,with the whole crying and the slapping Tadase thing. But I couldn't resist. Amu hadn't had her revenge on Tadase yet so... even if you hate it I'm sorry! Ah man,I've probably ruined it now.**

**Ikuto: If it helps, I thought the slap _made _it.**

**And I want to apologize for the shortness of this. Ah man I screwed up on this chapter. Anyway**** I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michael Jackson's songs for helping calm me down while writing this chapter.**

**Ikuto: Why did you need calming down?**

**Writers block. Possibly ruined this. No sleep. No coffee. No more of those chewy sweets I'm addicted to.**

**Ikuto: Too bad. -chewing-**

…**What are you eating?**

**Ikuto: Nothing. -covers mouth-**

…**Hmm. Oh and last night…well this morning I waited for that meteor shower thing that was supposed to be happening towards the north-east but I didn't see it!**

**Ikuto: Probably looking the wrong way.**

**Your probably right… -sigh-**

**Tadase: Hi everyo-**

**Ikuto: Get out.**

**Tadase I cannot be bothered with you today. And neither can the reviewers, haven't you read the reviews? **

**Tadase: No not y-**

**Well to put it nicely you aren't very popular with them. **

**Ikuto: And to put it bluntly they want you dead.**

**True.**

**Tadase: -Breaks down-**

**Please ****review! **


	8. Flashback And X Transformations

**Reviewer love goes to: **TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, Savannah Cullen, Angel Lilith, angelitaramos2102, Kaggie101, , Kazu Chan, 4everAmuto and mirohi ~ 

**Oh my lord, the worst possible thing happened to me!**

**Ikuto: The worst?**

**Well…second worst, but only to my entire family and friends being kidnapped and killed!**

**Ikuto: …Okay?**

**Wordpad suddenly went and deleted itself! Along with my first draft of this chapter, so I had to do it all over again! But thank God that I found out I had Microsoft works word processor on here! It took me a while to actually find it so then I was late starting this. So I'm really happy because if I hadn't found it…I might have DIED. **

**Ikuto: Aren't you overreacting a little bit?**

…**No.**

**Ikuto: Right, so Gemma apologizes for having to wait a little longer, and also if this chapter isn't up to any usual standards. **

**Oh while were on apologies, -mumbles like a three year old- I apologize for making Tadase meaner…I admit I am kinda bullying him. -sulks-**

**Ikuto: Yeah, you're treating Tadase like a Mary-sue. Not that I disapprove.**

**Oh, Ikuto…here -hands glasses over-**

**Ikuto: What are these for?**

**Put them on! Do you even realise what you looked like wearing them in episode 96!?**

**Ikuto: -puts glasses on- …No.**

**Well, let me explain. Any true Ikuto fangirl who saw you in those glasses and that suit and the slightly different hair should have either fainted or died. And I bet when Amu seen you she was fangirling on the inside…I could see it in her eyes. **

**Ikuto: -Triumphant smirk-**

**Since I mentioned episode 96, I just **_**have **_**to congratulate Suu on how kick-ass she was with the whole 'Attacking-the-bodyguards-with-pepper-but-screaming-sorry' thing. It was all totally badass for little Suu. Oh and before I forget…**

**Ikuto: Yes?**

**-Clears throat- Tadase, I would like to clear a little matter up with you…-takes a very deep breath- IKUTO DID NOT KILL YOUR **(beep)**ING DOG, NOR DID HE MAKE YOUR GRANDMOTHER COLLAPSE BY PLAYING HIS VIOLIN **(beep)**ING BEAUTIFLLY, PLUS THE DUMPTY KEY WAS HIS FATHERS SO IT'S RIGHTFULLY HIS, IF ANY ONE IS A THEIF AROUND HERE IT IS YOU! SO GET OVER IT AND STOP HOLDING ALL THIS **(beep) **AGAINST IKUTO AND TRYING TO MAKE AMU HATE HIM, AND STOP SCREAMING "TSUKIYOMI IKUTO!" EVERY DAMN TIME YOU SEE HIM. WE KNOW WHAT HIS NAME IS. YOU SAY IT EVERY THREE SECONDS! -dies from lack of oxygen-**

**Ikuto: …finished?**

**Yup ^^**

**Ikuto: Nice. Tsukiyomi Gemma --nice name by the way-- does not own Shugo Chara! **

**Suu: Review please!**

**(And I'm glad most people liked the slap! ^^)**

Art And Ikuto Chapter Eight

Amu was sat, slumped at her desk, prodding the purple cross egg lightly with a pencil.

"Amu-chan, I don't think you should be doing that..." Said Suu, growing increasingly nervous as she watched the pink eraser tap against the egg. Amu, coming back down to earth put the pencil down on the wood.

"Sorry, I didn't realise…" She murmured.

"Thinking about the X transformations, Amu-chan?" Piped Ran, standing on a box above the desk. "I wonder when we'll get to see one…"

Amu sighed and rested her head against one of her hands. "I'm thinking about a lot of things, Ran."

"Would one of those things be Ikuto?" Miki was smirking as she floated past Amu's pink face, who had apparently been caught out.

Amu just huffed tiredly at her chara before glancing at the clock she kept on her bedside table.

_9:16_

"I'm bored." She groaned, closing her eyes.

"Boredom is just a frame of mind ~desu!"

Amu glanced under her eyelashes at the little green chara, as she dusted off one of her many school books. She smiled as Suu began shooing Miki away from where she just cleaned -her eraser was flaking everywhere.

"Gomen ne, Suu."

"It's okay, just be more careful next time ~desu."

"Hai, hai…"

Amu resisted the urge to repeatedly whack her head against the table she was currently leaning against. She was so bored it was almost painful. She forced herself to think about something. Anything.

'_X egg transformations…how can that even happen? Forcing their own eggs out of their hearts…' _She couldn't figure it out, her brain was so exhausted that she couldn't even begin to process it. She stifled a yawn.

"Amu-chan…" Miki came over to her owner, as Suu moved onto attempting to clean Ran's muddy trainers.

"Stay still ~desu!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Laughed Ran.

"Yeah, Miki?" Amu hummed, stifling yet another yawn behind her hand.

"Do you think Utau will be alright? She got really upset over what Tadase said today…"

Amu looked at her, a sad smile on her lips. "Utau's a strong person, Miki. She just doesn't want anyone to hurt her brother, that's all."

Miki just nodded and floated away. For want of something to do, Amu crossed the room and sat on her bed reaching for her messenger bag. She opened it and dug around for a while.

"Ah." She pulled out her purple sketch pad and began to flip through the pages. She smiled when she came across the page she was seeking. A perfect reflection of Ikuto looked up at her from the paper. But for some reason she felt it didn't give him enough credit. Amu smiled as she closed the book slowly and placed it on the floor near her bed, along with her bag. She sighed and laid back into her sheets. After ten minuets she decided to get up and walk over to her closet.

"Pyjamas, pyjamas…" She mumbled as she rifled through her clothes. "Urgh…" She stomped over the her door and threw it open before heading towards the top of the stairs.

"Mama…Mama!"

She waited.

"Hai?" Her mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"Have you seen my pyjamas? I can't find them!"

Her mother was quiet for a while. "Oh, Amu-chan, they're with the rest of the laundry, you'll have to wear something else tonight. Gomen!" Amu heard her footsteps, and guessed she was heading back to tend to Ami, who's singing she could faintly hear from the living room.

"Find something else she says…" She muttered.

She slumped back over to her room and closed the door, then went back to looking through her closet.

_**Amu's POV**_

I keep looking for something to wear, but nothing even resembles pyjamas. I hear myself sigh. I give up and reach for some old grey sweats and a black top that's two sizes too big for me. After shutting the curtains over the balcony windows, I quickly got changed and collapsed onto my bed. I slap my hands over my face and close my eyes. I've been getting incredibly tired these past few days, everyone's emotions have been going mad ever since I confessed to Ikuto. Especially Utau and Tadase-kun's…

_Ikuto… _I smiled into my hands as I think about us. I still can't believe he feels the same way about _me_. I mean…he's _Ikuto, _he could have any girl he wants. But apparently that girl's me. When he told me he loved me…I could have sworn my heart stopped, but then it started beating really, really fast to let me know it was still there. I'm surprised he couldn't hear it. It still beats fast whenever I see him.

Me. Of all people he could love and he loves me. I can feel my face heating up, but I don't bother hiding it. Who is there to hide from anymore? The smile drops from my face. Tadase-kun hasn't been acting like his usual self for a few days. Before me and Ikuto, little over a week ago, he told me he loved me everyday. It made me so nervous, but not in the way I expected. I couldn't say it back. I thought that when I actually heard the words from his mouth then I would feel so happy, and I'd melt and do everything all those cheesy love songs talk about. But none of that happened. I just felt bad. He threw the words around at me as if they meant nothing. I feel guilty. But I can't help the way I feel. I can't force myself to love him just because he expects me to. I gave him his chance, and he missed it. Still, he didn't have to act like we were doing the worst thing in the world, being together. And something he said today made Utau cry, not much, but she got really upset over the way he's been acting. Everybody knows she's close to Ikuto. And Tadase-kun shouldn't have spoke about him in that way in front of her. Hell, he shouldn't speak that way about Ikuto in front of anyone. Ikuto couldn't defend himself against Tadase-kun either. Maybe he'll stop altogether now, considering I slapped him last time he did that.

"_We don't know what his intentions are."_

I hear the words that pushed me over the edge of reasoning with him. What did he mean by that? Was he trying to say Ikuto was using me for something? To steal the Humpty Lock? To get close to the guardians? Whatever he meant, he's wrong. Ikuto wouldn't do that to me. He loves me and I love him. Tadase-kun probably thinks it's one of those times when young people believe there in love and there really not. Well I've already been through that stage last year, with him. Thankfully, on my thirteenth birthday I completely gave up on him. He forgot about it altogether. I found it funny that Nagehiko, Kukai, Yaya, Rima and Utau remembered and he let it 'Slip his mind'. (He said he forgot because he was having a family get together and needed to think about that more than anything else.) Even Ikuto came by on the night when everyone left. I don't even know how he found out when my birthday was. When I asked him he said that I mentioned it once. He's a _really _good listener. I remember it all clearly…

_He turned up on my balcony scaring the living daylights out of me, and when I left him in, we sat and talked. We even laughed about the most stupid things, it was nice, I didn't have to pretend to be something I'm not when he was around. I didn't understand how I felt then. Then as he was about to leave hours later, he took out a small box and handed it to me as I sat on my bed looking up at him._

"_What's this?"_

_He rolled his eyes at me. "Open it." He told me, as he shoved his hands in his pockets._

_I can feel his eyes on my face, waiting for my reaction, as I slowly tear the light pink paper. As I pull away the last piece I see a small, blue, velvet box laying in my hand. I look up at him, eyes widened._

"_Ikuto…" I breathe. _

_He sighed. "You haven't even seen it yet." _

_I looked back down into my hands, his eyes still on me. Him looking at me like that was making me blush. I didn't even know why. I kept thinking about how much it would have cost him to get me something like this. I could tell by looking at the box that it was expensive. With slightly shaking hands, I lift the lid of the rectangle box. My breathing hitched when it fully opened, and from the corner of my eye I swear I could see Ikuto smiling. I can see an amazingly beautiful bracelet, sparkling up at me in the light. I pick it up, placing the box on the bed next to me. It was a pure silver charm bracelet. The charms all had different stones in each one, I had to look them all up after Ikuto left. The heart had a rose quart in the middle, the spade had a deep blue sapphire (this was my favourite, as his eyes were almost the same colour.), the clover had a light jade, the diamond had a topaz and there was another charm, a cross._

I laugh quietly. I find it ironic now as I stare at my cross egg on the other side of the room.

_There was a dark purple stone set right in the centre of the cross. It finished of the entire piece nicely. The bracelet was truly the most beautiful one I had ever seen. I'm speechless. I literally can't say a word. But it doesn't matter, nothing I could say would ever thank him enough. I slowly tear my eyes away from the delicate chain in my hands to look back up at him. He's smiling down at me, apparently pleased with my awestruck reaction. _

"_Well? Do you like it?" He's smirking, of course he already knows the answer. My shocked, dumbstruck face probably giving it away. What happens next really does surprise him. Not only him but me. I throw myself into his arms, somehow tangling my hands behind his neck, bracelet still in hand. We stumble and almost fall but he regains our balance. My head is against his chest as I speak._

"_Thank you so much, Ikuto. It's really beautiful. Thank you." It's muffled but I guess he heard me because I can feel his arms slowly reaching around my back as he chuckles into my ear._

"_Your welcome," His breath on my ear makes me blush, but thankfully he can't see my face, it's still buried in his chest. "If I knew you were going to be like this, I'd buy you bracelets more often."_

"_P-pervert." stutter quietly. He laughs again. _

I smile fondly at the memory, one of my favourites at that. I lower my hands from my face and lift my left into the air above my head, admiring my most treasured piece of jewellery, and feel the cool silver of the charms against the skin of my wrist. Turning my head to my bedside table, I check the time.

9:48

Well, that passed quick. I must have spent more time thinking then I had thought. I look over to Suu, Ran and Miki. They seem to be getting tired. My gaze then travels to Dia's egg and the other un-hatched one. I really hope she doesn't take as long to hatch as Dia is. But I guess that's partly my fault. I almost hit myself in the head. Why do I always have to go back to thinking these depressing thoughts? Shaking my head at myself I pull the bed sheet out from under me, but not before I get a good look at what I'm wearing. Don't I look _great _in sweats and a top that would be to big, even on my mother? I roll my eyes. Why do I even care? It's not like anyone's gonna see me like this. I drop the covers over myself and mumble out to the room.

"Can someone turn off the light, please?"

"Hai…" I hear someone -sounds like Miki- yawn. Seconds later my room is bathed in darkness. I snuggle deeper into my pillow, feeling the soft fabric brush against my face. I'm so tired I'll be asleep in no time.

"_Peace at last." _I think as I feel myself drifting off into darkness.

(*)

"Amu-chan! Amu-chan!"

"_I stand corrected." _

Ran starts shouting my name in my face.

"What?" Came my reply, muffled by my pillow.

"We can feel an X egg, but it's different than usual!"

I tear the pillow way from my head. "Different _how_?"

"It might be an X transformation." Miki told me.

I throw the covers off me, and then land on the floor as I dive out of bed.

"Ran."

She nods to me before we transform and I rush over the balcony fiddling with the latch.

"Amu-chan," Suu's voice catches my attention. "I'll stay here and watch the eggs!"

"But Suu…" Do the eggs really need looking after? I might need her.

"And if Ami-chan wakes up and she see's that your gone I can stop her from telling your parents ~desu."

I think about it. If that did happen then my parents would get really worried. A thirteen year old girl out in the middle of the night. What time was it anyway?

4:05

I groan. That wouldn't be good.

"Okay Suu, stay here." She nods to me and floats over to the desk.

I finally open the latch and jump out over the balcony with Miki following.

(*)

It feels like I've been running for ages, but it really couldn't have been that long ago that I first woke up: We're only just passing the park now.

"Where can you feel it Miki?" I ask as I jump up onto someone's roof. I don't want to be seen running around the dark streets dressed as a cheerleader, in the early hours of the morning no less.

"Just a little further!" She shouts, pointing out in front of her.

I can see the school coming into view.

"It's at the school?" I yell over the rush of wind passing us.

She frowns at the school, and I'm guessing she's feeling around for it. After a few seconds she nods, looking sure. "Definitely."

More minuets pass until I finally leap down from the top of the school gate and run across the yard. I stop just before the main entrance and look around. "I can't see anything." I whisper, only just realising how creepy it was around here at night. The trees looked disgustingly sinister, and I couldn't see what might be lurking in the shadows of the building. It quiet and the rustling of trees is all I can hear. Save the pounding of my heart.

"It might be on the other side of the school, Amu-chan." I hear Ran's voice. I nod and begin to run around the dark building. We reach the large soccer field and still, nothings there.

Miki makes a small "Hmn…" Sound next to me.

"…The roof?" I say turning to her.

"We could try." I face the school and ran towards it, kicking off from the ground. The wind is cold as it whistles through my hair.

"Amu." I swear I heard Ikuto's voice.

"Amu-chan!" Then Tadase-kun's.

I land perfectly on the roof then look over to my left. I was right. Ikuto and Tadase are there, along with Nagehiko. No sign of an X transformation though.

"What are you all doing here?" I ask whilst walking over to them.

Nagehiko smiles at me and looked as if he was about to answer when Tadase-kun cut in.

"That's what I was just asking Tsukiyomi Ikuto."

"Huh?" I'm about to turn to him but not before I notice the exasperated look on Nagehiko's face. I look at him questioningly, and he just smiles and scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.

"What do you mean Tadase-kun?" I pull my eyes from Nagehiko and rest them on Tadase.

From the edge of my sight, Ikuto rolls his eyes.

"Go on, _Kiddy King._" I can tell he's emphasising on that to get to Tadase-kun. And it looks like it's working, by the way he's starting to grind his teeth. "Tell Amu your little theory about me."

This makes me stare at Ikuto. "What? What theory?" What is happening here?

Ikuto just nodded towards Tadase while crossing his arms, careful of the sharp claw attached to his outfit. Come to mention it, Tadase and Nagehiko are transformed too. Did they feel the X transformation?

"What's going on?"

"Did you feel the X egg too, Amu-chan?" I nodded mutely. "Well that's why me and Fujisaki-kun are here." I glance at Nagehiko. That seems like an ordinary enough reason. Ordinary for the guardians anyway. So why was he asking Ikuto questions? But then Nagehiko gives me the 'Wait-for-it' look and turn to Tadase, I do the same. When Tadase saw he had my full attention he carried on.

"When we got here, Tsukiyomi Ikuto…" He pointed to him and I held back the urge to say. _'Yes, I _know_ who he is.' _

"…Was already here."

"Oh," I breathed. Tadase nodded as if expecting me to understand something important. "So?" He almost fell over.

"Well…he was here before everybody else when he felt an X egg around here. It couldn't just be a coincidence and that he was just 'passing through', right?"

"Encase you have forgotten," We all looked at Ikuto. "Amu and Utau told me about those 'X Egg Transformations' at lunch. And you didn't seem to happy about that did you?"

Tadase glared at him, but was obviously trying to keep calm.

"Anyway I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so when Yoru said he felt something strange we followed it here. I live closer to the school than any of you so it's logic that I got here first." He explained smoothly, a full blown smirk set firmly on his face.

Before Tadase could say anything in response, it was Nagehiko's turn to cut in. "But there doesn't seem to be anything here."

"Well there must be," Miki demanded from beside me. "I can still feel it around here."

Everyone either looked at Miki or looked around the roof.

"Can you tell where it is?" Ikuto asked her quietly, walking closer to us.

Miki just shook her head. "Bur there's definitely something here." She whispered.

**Aghh!**

**Ikuto: What's wrong with you?**

**I'm just tired from having to do this again, and I had to cut it shorter because when I was just getting into the flow of it again, my mother made me clean out the damn fish. So that completely threw me off!**

**Ikuto: Hmm… -eyeing the fish bowl with cat ears popping up-**

**You leave those fish alone Ikuto… YORU! Get your paws out of there! **

**Yoru: Sorry, Gemma. -Lets go of fish-**

**Oh my gosh that reminds me!**

**Ikuto: Of what?**

**Temari died!**

**Nagehiko: -pops up out of nowhere- WHAT?**

**Oh, not your Temari!**

**Nagehiko: …Then who's?**

**Mine! My fish died! -cries-**

**Ikuto: -Shuffles away from Gemma-**

**-stops crying- Anyway, I added that little flashback Amu had because it suddenly came to me to say something about her birthday and about Tadase missing it!**

**Tadase: I look like such a jerk…**

**Ikuto: Suck it up.**

**And I tried using Amu's POV for the first time in this fic, please review to tell me if it sounded okay and should do it a little more or if I should just stick with the normal POV. Either way just review about something, what you liked, what you didn't like, what you would want to happen, that you think will happen, etcetera. Review about the weather if you like! **

**Tadase: I don't think that will be very helpful…**

**Oh you can be quiet!**

**Ikuto: Yeah you blamed me for those X egg's in this chapter.**

**Tadase: I'm not the one writing this, I-**

**What your blaming me now? -looks like a crying three year old- Look! Tadase made me cry! **

**Ikuto: Now any reviewer can throw rotting food at him for bullying Gemma. **

**Aww thank you Ikuto! Oh Tadase…you didn't do your chores the reviewers gave you right and you have to baby-sit **angelitaramos2102**'s little sister for not cleaning her room.**

**Tadase: But…**

**Suu: -attacks Tadase with pepper- **_**Review!**_

**Ikuto: -high fives Suu-**


	9. What Could An X Transformation Be?

_4everIkuto, Katherine, Kazumiki chan1, xXYoraXx, Shadow Kitsune67, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, kouhaixsempai, x-kawaii-lullaby-x, Angel Lilith and angelitaramos2102 _**got to throw food at Tadase. Yay! ^^**

**Tadase: -walks in covered head to foot like some kind of evil food goblin-**

**Ikuto: Nice look you got going on there…**

**Tadase: …**

**Okay, -puts hand in the air- I have a confession.**

**Ikuto: And what's that?**

**Well, in Shugo Chara episode 97 I discovered something.**

**Ikuto: …Go on.**

**Apart from Utau and Ikuto being amazingly cute kids, I found out that Tadase was actually making me think "Awww…" a lot. I mean come on! The big pink eyes and little voice. Oh and when he fell over shouting "Brother!". **

**Ikuto: Oh man, here we go. Your gonna convert to _Hotori _Gemma now aren't you? -looks away and pretends he isn't bothered- **

**Well…**

**Ikuto: You're not serious!**

**No. I'm not. Even though Tadase was a cute kid he's still quite full of himself. And Ikuto's just better looki… -slaps hand over mouth-**

**Ikuto: -Smirking- What was that, _Tsukiyomi _Gemma?**

**N-nothing, nothing. -whistles- Anyway shut up! I'll change to Hotori Gemma if you push me too far.**

**Tadase: -laughingly triumphantly in his cage-**

**SHUT IT, HOTORI!**

**Ikuto & Tadase: -backs away-**

**And I warn you that I have now hired Suu as my personal bodyguard and hit man…girl…whatever. **

**Ikuto: You have Amu's housekeeping chara as your personal assassin?**

**…Yes.**

**Suu: -Zooms in dressed as a ninja and high fives Gemma- Tsukiyomi Gemma doesn't own Shugo Chara Please review! ~Desu.**

**---****  
**

Art And Ikuto Chapter 9

---

"_Can you tell where it is?" Ikuto asked her quietly, walking closer to us. _

_Miki just shook her head. "But there's definitely something here." She whispered. _

Everyone looked around slowly, taking in the surroundings.

"What do we do?" Amu whispered, as the group got closer to each other.

"We wait." Ikuto mumbled, as they all turned their backs on each other, forming a circle.

"It's definitely an X transformation?" Nagehiko asked Miki as she floated behind Amu's shoulder. She nodded.

"They have to show them selves sometime." He conveyed to the others.

Everyone nodded.

Meanwhile, the very night sky they stood alert underneath, grew darker if possible, as a colony of thick, grey clouds smothered the light of the moon. They could barely see their hands in front of their own faces. The whispers of leaves and the cold night air swirling about them was the only thing that could be heard, other than the sound of a rapid heartbeat in each persons' chest.

It was a while -just as everyone was letting their guard down-, before they all heard rustling, and almost inaudible footsteps heading their way at a torturously slow pace. Nagehiko, Tadase and Amu tensed while Ikuto squinted into the darkness.

"Can anyone see anything?" Tadase asked, whispering to the rest of the group. The sudden voice caused Amu to involuntary flinch. No one answered him, due to the tense atmosphere and fearing that their voice would draw closer whatever happened to be out there.

The sound of footsteps did not seize, and the light tapping became louder and louder. A thin shadow spread out across the dusty ground from behind the corner, where the school stairs where. Slowly a slender leg came into view as she stepped fully into everyone's line of sight.

"Utau!" Sighed Amu, thoroughly relieved. "Geez, don't do that. You scared the living daylights out of me." Her back slumped from her earlier stance as she reached a hand over her rising and falling chest.

Utau took in their pale faces, and gave them a look. "Seriously. I just walked round a corner." She folded her arms and stretched her large feathery wings out behind her, completely calm.

Tadase just gawked at her. "But we thought you were an X transformation." He pleaded.

"Gee thanks." She scowled. "_You_ know how to make a girl feel special." She added, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Amu saw Ikuto smirk and rolled her eyes like a mother would to her misbehaving children, and lightly elbowed him in his bare ribcage. He frowned down at her.

"That wasn't very cute_._"

She turned bright red and muttered "Whatever." turning away from him stubbornly. He just chuckled at her back. He couldn't see her expression but somehow knew she was pouting. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her back, leaning his head on her shoulder.

"W-what are you doing?" She stuttered helplessly as she tried to wriggle free.

"Well," His hot breath tickled her ear, causing her to freeze unconsciously in his arms. "It's still really dark, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, _Amu._"

"Don't say my name like that!"

"Does it bother you…" She glared at nothing in particular as his pulled her back closer to his chest. "_Amu."_

She sighed and gave up, leaning back into him, trying her best to hide her blush. "See? That wasn't so bad was it?" She could tell he was smirking.

Amu just mumbled "I guess not." and other things even she herself couldn't understand. Tadase glanced at them but quickly turned around and away from prying eyes, as his face twisted with a mix of sadness and jealously. He stared at the ground, chewing the inside of his cheek whilst Ikuto kept teasing Amu and an on looking Utau and Nagehiko just smiled at them. Nagehiko's eyes fell from the couple and landed on Tadase's stiff back. He slowly walked up behind him, coughing politely to let him know he was there.

"Hotori-kun?"

He didn't answer he just turned his head over his shoulder a little and smiled weakly at Nagehiko. "I'm fine, Fujisaki-kun."

Nagehiko didn't believe him. Nor did he pretend to look as if he did. Tadase's face fell and he turned to look out over the school grounds. Nagehiko sighed and stood beside him.

"You know," Nagehiko began, watching his face closely. "No one expects you to be completely fine about this."

Tadase looked out at the still covered moon not knowing what to say.

"I not sure I know what you mean." He tried look nonchalant.

"…You still love her, don't you." It wasn't a question, Tadase nodded none the less.

They stood in silence as yells from an embarrassed Amu travelled along the otherwise empty roof. Tadase chanced a peek over his shoulder and immediately saw Amu's pink face, desperately fighting a smile as Ikuto hugged her from behind, apparently not letting her go for a second. He quickly looked back out in front of him.

"I'm jealous, Fujisaki-kun." He stated painfully, closing his eyes. "I'm jealous of Tsukiyomi Ikuto."

Nagehiko, cautiously placed a hand on his shoulder, so lightly Tadase could only just feel it. But he drew comfort from it, knowing he wasn't being judged.

"I know you don't want to be, and I know you haven't meant to take things out on others," Tadase looked at him then. He must have been really eaten up in jealously for all the others to notice. "But Amu-chan needs you to be happy for her."

He stared at him, confused. "What?" He asked him slowly.

"You do mean a lot to Amu-chan and she does love you," He was about to protest. "Maybe not in the way you love her but she really does care about you."

He dropped his hand from Tadase's back, as he looked away.

"I know that. I just want…" He frowned despite himself. "I…I really have no idea what I want."

Nagehiko smiled. "And that's okay."

There was another long silence.

"Was I really that bad?" Tadase asked, almost scared to know the answer.

Nagehiko shrugged. "Amu-chan slapped you right?" He nodded, saddened as he remembered the pain in her eyes. He almost flinched at the memory. That had _hurt._ "You must have hurt her then." He ended softly.

Tadase closed his eyes again, seeing if scrunching his eyes tight together would make all his problems go away. But he opened his eyes, and they hadn't left, they hung thick in the air like a misty fog. He sighed, scratching the front of his neck above the ruffles of his kings suit.

"Just think things through, Hotori-kun." His purpled haired friend smiled, before he left him to his own thoughts.

---

"I _said _let go!" Amu yelled for the tenth time that night.

"Aww, but why?" Ikuto pouted, his head resting on the top of hers.

"Because there's people around."

"It's just Utau and Nagehiko, Amu."

"Tadase-kun's here too, you know!" She reminded him.

"Yeah, but he's been over there," He signalled with his head. "For a few minuets and doesn't look like he's coming back anytime soon."

"Hey," Utau interjected. "Should he really be aloud near the edge of a tall building, unsupervised when he's been nutty over the past few days?" Utau sounded as if she should be concerned, but really spoke as if she was incredibly bored with him. "And speaking of nutty, why are we all still character transformed?"

"Anou…" Amu's hold on Ikuto's forearms wrapped around her loosened. "I'm not sure."

"Hey," Miki looked up at Ikuto from them floor before floating up to his eye level. "Can you still sense that thing?"

Miki crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at the expectant teenagers in front of her, then launched herself into a long rant about how she had tried to tell them it was still here but Ikuto was too busy distracting everyone by harassing Amu. Amu blushed and shook her head vigorously at nothing while Ikuto looked thoroughly pleased with his work in making her flustered.

"Wait," His voice making Amu stop moving her head, as she looked up and into his face. "Did you say it's still here?" Amu's eyes widened and began flashing all around the roof. As did Nagehiko's. Utau and Ikuto just stared at Miki, and Tadase remained completely oblivious to the information as he stood at the edge of the school, leaning on a metal bar.

Ikuto's hold around Amu tightened as the group lapsed into another deafening silence. "Stay close to me." He huskily ordered her, drawing his lips close to her ear. She couldn't speak so she nodded with a slightly trembling head. Whether from cold, fear, or pure adrenalin: she couldn't tell. Utau narrowed her purple eyes so she could see through the thick darkness. Her sight quickly ran over the rare patches of moonlight, washing the place they all stood. Nagehiko and Utau took a few steps back each so Utau was stood behind Amu and Ikuto, her towards them, and Nagehiko was stood in front of them.

They heard a high pitched giggle emit from the blackness.

Everybody froze. They heard the girlish giggle again.

"Who's there?" Utau yelled bravely. Thus making Tadase turn around and stare at his friends' battle stances.

Silence.

Utau was growing annoyed now. "I _said who's there?" _She repeated slowly, as if speaking to an idiot.

"Well…Isn't that _cute." _Said the girlish voice.

A patch of white-blue light suddenly burst through the clouds and fell upon a girl dressed entirely in grey and black. Her grey-blue eyes gleamed, sinister in the moonlight as she stared emotionlessly at them, white-grey hair rustling behind her, fell right past her waist and brushed the backs of her thin legs. She was wearing a grey strapless top with a black corset above it, grey ribbons lacing across the front, holding it together; A grey skirt that pushed out from her waist and stopped mid-thigh; black high socks that stopped just bellow her knee and net laced the edge. Her shoes were plain, grey flats. She had black sleeves that ran from her shoulders down to her wrists, and the fabric spiked at the shoulder. On top of her grey head sat a spiked headband, along with a large black 'X' sat on the left side of her head . She was quite thin and small, yet still looked deadly even through her innocent child like expression. She was pretty, but in a special way that only some could see. She was short in size but looked around the same age as Amu or Utau. Her most prominent and un-missable feature was the large, black, tattered wings that twitched in the night air behind her back. They were not unlike Utau's bat wings when she was Lunatic Charm, but the unnamed girl's where much more rugged and unkempt.

**(Link to the original picture of her, also on my profile. It really helps if you see it.) ****.com/image/demon%20girl%20anime/Maye_Valentine/Anime_Vampire_?o=1**

Her emotionless face, changed into a giggling one as she fiddled with the grey lace falling from her dog collar necklace. "_Cute." _She repeated, eyes firmly fixed on Amu and Ikuto. He released his hold on her after placing her behind himself protectively. She giggled at his reaction.

"Who are you?" Utau spat at the shorter girl.

She smiled sweetly as she spoke, her gaze never leaving Ikuto and Amu. It was making Amu nervous and shift her weight from foot to foot, and making Ikuto move in front of her so this girl would stop gazing at her. He didn't trust her.

"Amaya." She smiled, as the moon finally broke free of it's black imprisonment.

"No other name?" Tadase asked her approaching from the edge of the building slowly.

"Rakuro Amaya. But please just Amaya."

"R-right. I'm…" He stopped behind Amu as he paused. He wasn't sure whether he really should introduce himself to a girl who was clearly and X transformation, but upon seeing her interested expression continued shyly. "Hotori Tadase." She nodded smiling at him. She was being very polite. Strange.

Everyone's eye's kept flashing to the white 'X' on her head. It was obvious what she was. But she seemed in complete control of herself. As if she wasn't effected at all.

"Amaya, huh?" Utau mused, carefully backing in front of her brother and best friend, next to Nagehiko. "_Night rain…"_

Amaya nodded happily, looking at Utau for the first time. "Aha, that's what it means, alright."

"Excuse me, Amaya…" Nagehiko started cautiously. "…Chan." He added, trying his best to make her see they meant her no harm. She grinned at the honorific. "Can I ask something?"

"Hai, Anou…" Amaya placed a slim, perfectly manicured finger to her lip, titling her head at him.

"Fujisaki Nagehiko." He nodded to her.

"Ah, Nagi-kun. What is it you wanted to ask?"

He was taken aback by her sudden use of his familiar nickname after only just meeting. He blinked a couple of times. "Well, you… If you don't mind me asking Amaya-chan, could you possibly be an X transformation?" He asked slowly, hoping she didn't go on the defensive. Of course everyone knew she was, it was just a question of asking if she even knew it herself. All their frames stiffened as they awaited her answer with baited breath. Her face was unreadable. Was she angry? After around thirty-something seconds she eventually replied.

" An X transformation…" She pouted. "What could that be?" Her young, high voice wondered.

"W-well…" Nagehiko began.

"It's nothing important Amaya-san." Tadase cut across desperately. "I think we were mistaken. My apologies."

She frowned at him for a long time, then shrugged, giggling. "It's no biggie…Tadase-kun, right?" He nodded.

She grinned again. "Great, I'm good with names!" She seemed to be an overly happy person. Her clothes and appearance not giving off that effect at first. Suddenly the words '_never judge a book by it's cover' _sprung into their minds.

"I'm sorry…I didn't catch your name." She turned to Utau, eyes bright with curiosity. Utau looked a little more sceptic of the other but complied.

"Hoshina Utau."

"It's nice to meet you, Utau-chan!" Amu held back a tiny smile. She thought it was really cute the way Amaya spoke to people. Adorable. And she was really polite.

Utau just blinked at her, Amaya closed her eyes and smiled. She did a lot of that. She spun away from Utau, her very long grey hair rustling along with her skirt as she did so. She looked at Ikuto and Amu, waiting. Amu didn't know what to do. Amaya was really cute and sweet, exactly the opposite of what she would expect. She was mixed with her own X egg. How can she be so happy? Maybe she was even happier before the transformation and her real personality leaked through?

"Last but by no means least!" Amaya sang. Amu couldn't help but smile at her from around Ikuto. She placed her hand on Ikuto's arm in front of her and looked up at him. He stared deep into her smiling eyes for a moment and then sighed and stepped out from in front of her. Amu took his hand and stood next to him.

"I'm Hinamori Amu." She smiled, a lot like Amaya was. "And this," She gestured to her little blue chara floating some way off, praying she could see them. "Is Miki." Amaya stared at the place Amu had pointed and Amu held her breath.

"Very nice to meet you Amu-chan!" Amaya gushed. Then she turned to Miki and held out her pinkie finger. "Nice to meet you Miki-chan!" Amu almost giggled at the warmness. Amaya's personality was incredibly infectious. Reminding her a lot of Yaya.

"Same here." Replied Miki, shaking Amaya's pinkie with her little hand.

Amaya looked up at Ikuto, as he nearly towered over her small stature. He just stared back down at her, obviously not trusting her completely.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto." He said at her, after a very pregnant pause.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ikuto-kun!" She cheered back, the big smile never once leaving her face.

Everyone stared on at her confused. They all stood in silence watching as she looked around, taking in everyone's features.

"…Amaya-chan." Started Amu. Amaya turned to her nodding for her to go on. '_Wow, she's really friendly.' _

"What are you doing up on the school roof?"

Amaya blinked. "School roof? So this is what this place is. I was wondering about that for a second." She laughed.

"You didn't know this is a school?" Ikuto spoke using a voice as if he was interrogating her. But she didn't notice. She just tapped herself in the head lightly with the heel of her pale hand.

"Nope." She pushed back a long strand of grey hair behind her right ear.

"Then if you didn't know this was a school, how did you get here, Amaya-san?" Tadase asked her, leaning back against the railing.

"Ahh," She sighed wistfully. "That's the funny part."

"Funny how, Amaya-chan?" She glanced at Nagehiko before grinning his way.

"Well, it's a long story." She dropped down on the floor and crossed her legs leaning her elbows on her knees. Amaya looked up at everyone and patted the ground in front of her. Amu and Nagehiko sat first. Utau bit her bottom lip then joined them. Tadase looked over to Ikuto, who was watching how close Amu got to the X transformation with a frown on his face. Feeling eyes on him Ikuto looked up and met Tadase's gaze. Instead of seeing pure hatred for once, he saw his own worry reflected in Tadase's eyes. Tadase nodded to him curtly and sat down next to Amaya. Eventually Ikuto sat on the concrete too, completing the circle. It started with Amaya then Tadase, Utau, Amu, Ikuto, Nagehiko and finally reaching back to Amaya. It they looked like an ordinary bunch of long time friends catching up, to any outsider, save the obvious fact they were all still character transformed. One security precaution Ikuto was glad they had adopted.

"Okay," She smiled, resting her head in her hands. "It all started this morning as I was heading out of my house to get to school. I didn't have these annoying wing thingies then." She explained, pointing behind her with a free hand. "I had decided that I was going to admit to Keitaro-kun today…"

"Who's Keitaro?" Amu asked quickly.

"Oh right, you guys wont know him. Well…" She blushed. "Keitaro is the person I like." Amu blinked at her before smiling at her obvious shyness. Amaya was telling them all something personal about herself, treating them all like her closest friends…Amu liked it.

Amaya seemed lost in thought for a moment and her cheeks burned brighter. She soon snapped out of it and turned to Utau on her left near Tadase.

"Utau-chan!"

"…Hai?" Amu could tell she was dieing to raise an eyebrow, but holding herself back for fear of unconsciously making herself seem as though she was acting cold towards such a sweet girl. Even Utau had her limitations.

"You knew what my name meant, do you know what 'Keitaro' means, Utau-chan?"

Utau blinked, lost. "Uhh, yeah." The girls behaviour was affecting Utau. She -like Amu- was still trying to figure out how she could be acting like this when merged with an X egg. So her question caught her off-guard.

"It means 'blessed' , I think."

Amaya nodded, looking excited. "You're smart, Utau-chan!"

Utau only smiled back, bewildered.

"As I was saying, today was the day I chose to confess my feelings to him. I've liked him for so long now, but we've only ever been friends. I never had the courage to tell him about my feelings, I was really nervous and scared of what he might say. If he said he didn't feel the same way then would that be our friendship ruined for good?" Tadase peeked at Amu from the corner of his eye, the irony of the story getting to him. Almost like her words were mocking him. But he couldn't blame her. She didn't understand what effect it was having on his aching heart. "When I stepped out of my house I saw him at my gate, he usually call's for me and walks with me to school, you see." Everyone but Tadase and Ikuto nodded. "I tried so hard to find the courage to tell him there and then as we walked but I didn't dare. I was so nervous and I was blushing a lot and he kept asking if I was okay, and then that made my blush worse, making him ask even more! He even stopped to check my temperature a few times! It was all so embarrassing…" She laughed towards the end, shaking her head, closing her eyes.

"I was just about to start confessing when the school bell went off and I looked up and I was already at out school. So we had to rush off to class to avoid being late. We ended up being late for first period anyway. 'Our usual little habit' the teacher says." She made little quotation marks with her thin fingers in the air, causing Amu and Nagehiko to smile along with her.

"So we sat down and the day went on like any other normal school day. I didn't confess to him at all, but I had loads of chances! But…" Her face fell. "But then Keitaro told me something in our last lesson of the day. He leaned over to me and we started whispering about the usual things. But then he…he told me about a girl…that he likes."

Amu gasped, she felt bad for her. Even though they had only just met that night, and under very strange circumstances, Amaya was kind to her and treated her like an old friend.

"Kameko…that's her name."

"Amaya-chan…" She sighed, not knowing what to say.

Nagehiko chuckled. They all looked at him, incredulous. "Sorry, it's just the name."

Everyone but Utau and Amaya raised an eyebrow. Amaya chuckled a little too. Then Utau.

"Huh?" Amu asked.

"Kameko…" Utau hummed.

Amu just blinked at her. Utau rolled her eyes playfully.

"_Child of the tortoise." _Amaya smiled.

Amu cracked a small smile of her own. After a few minutes, Amu saddened. The reality was: this Keitaro guy liked that Kameko girl, when his best friend, Amaya, likes him too. Of course it's not his fault. He can't help who he loves. If he _does _love her that is.

"What did you do?" Asked Utau after a moment of quiet.

Amaya opened her eyes and looked between the two girls gratefully. "…Keitaro is my best friend, of course I said I was happy he liked someone. It's my job to be happy for my best friend, right?"

'_Oh the irony.' _Tadase bitterly thought.

Nagehiko gave Tadase a meaningful look over Amaya, that thankfully nobody else noticed. He responded by lowering his eyes in an understanding way. An 'I-get-your-point-okay!?' way.

"Anyway, Keitaro-kun said that he was really nervous about telling her how he felt. So I said he shouldn't be nervous at all because he was a really great guy and all…" She sniffed and her pale eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "And that she was really silly if she didn't like him back." She wiped her eye with the back of her hand, not letting one tear fall. She sniffed again.

'_This is probably how she forced out her own heart egg.' _Everyone was thinking along the same lines as they watched her. Even Ikuto felt bad for the girl.

"So, he tells me I'm a really good friend, and it hits me. We'll only ever be friends. He loves someone else. But that's okay!" She added, seeing her new friends' faces of sympathy towards her. "It's good because she can give him something I never could! She can make him happy and always be there for him. And…and I'll always just be the best friend." The broken hearted girl tried her best to smile, but she felt her skin pull uncomfortably. "If all I can be is his friend, then that's good enough!"

"You did the right thing." They all looked at the side of Amaya, and at Tadase. "Telling him to confess. That was…really brave Amaya-san. _Really_ brave."

She sniffed and looked up from the ground. "Y-you really think so? You really mean it?" Her usual loud, girlish happy voice sound defeated.

"Sure I do." He nodded.

Everyone smiled at him. Everyone apart from Ikuto, who looked away from them all, and Utau, who narrowed her eyes at him, scrutinising his sincerity.

'_He had better not be saying that to try and worm out of acting like a jerk…' _She thought, watching him carefully.

Amaya straightened up and looked around the group of teenagers. She felt safe and happy, something she had never felt for a long time when away from her Keitaro. She smiled with her eyes closed, her tears wetting her long eyelashes slightly.

**---**

**I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter! ^^**

**Ikuto: Good for you. But you didn't half take your time on it.**

**Well there's a really good reason for that!**

**Ikuto: I'm sure there is, Gemma.**

**…You had better not be using sarcasm there, Ikuto!**

**Ikuto: No, no…**

**Well I had to spend a lot of time on this and I worked really hard because I had to get the character for Amaya right, so I sat down and figured it all out. Then decided if she was a goodie or a baddie yadda yadda. But also I do recognise that I made Tadase into a little bit more of a jerk than usual…**

**Tadase: Hey!**

**So I tried to justify his actions by using that little conversation between Nagi and Tadase to explain why he was acting so different. I hope it worked. Because I was really quite nice to him in this chapter, I even made him and Ikuto act civil when Tadase nodded to him. See? I really worked hard! Also I had to find the right picture to match the thing I had in mind but I could only get it to match a little. But it works. Please look at that picture because my explanation might be a little bit confusing. **

**Ikuto: …That is actually a good reason, Gemma. I'm impressed.**

**Well, I didn't make it up, Ikuto! Oh and another reason I can prove how hard I worked is because I spent a total of 24 hours just TYPING this up, because most of it was on paper. So God knows how long I spent actaully writing it. And the time here now is 03:36 and I'm so incredibly tired that I could die.**

**Ikuto: Yeah, but she's going out tomorrow and she knew she wouldn't get it up then so she stayed up some of the night to get this done for you guys! **

**That shows how much I love you all! ^^ So please review and tell me what you think of Amaya so far! Any ideas for anything are welcome! -bounces away on pogo stick yelling something about buying Spain and stealing peanuts from giant pigs- **

**Ikuto: …Yeah, she hasn't slept well for a while. -sweat drop-**

**Tadase: REVIEW PLEASE! **


	10. Leigh Blossom

_Katherine, Kammie-chan, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, angelitaramos2102, kouhaixsempai, Rose, amutoluv, Kazumiki chan1, Angel Lilith and Yuukifan001 _**all can have a Cheerio (don't own) that I'm eating without milk! Hope you enjoy it! ^^;**

**Ikuto: Why without milk?**

…**I'm already sat down. But if they don't like Cheerios then they can have…Nagi and Rima whom I stole from **_TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi_**'s oneshot! **

**Ikuto: Is she getting them back?**

**Um, maybe. But only if she ****needs**** them. ^^**

**Ikuto: Thief…**

**Oh! Shugo chara 98 was awesome! Temari-chan came back, and Rima-tan found out about Nagi and that made them closer! And we are finally getting back to the plot! Ikutoo~ He looked all sad and in pain… Stupid Director man! And I really have to rub it in that the fortune teller woman who randomly appears everywhere said that Amu was searching for someone who was important to her…TAKE THAT TADASE.**

**Ikuto: Amu's coming to save mee~**

…**yup.**

**-Gemma and Ikuto start throwing mud at Tadase whilst laughing evilly and looking triumphant- **

**Tadase: - Shielding his eyes- AGH!**

**Ikuto & Gemma: Fehehehehe…**

**Rima & Nagi: -Randomly walk across this already beautiful scene of mud throwing, whilst holding hands-**

**Awww… **

**Tadase: -Runs away while Gemma and Ikuto are distracted-**

**Well now that that's over. I just realised I've been spelling Nagihiko wrong. I wrote it as "Nagehiko". At least I think I've been spelling it wrong. I'm not sure so in future I'm just going so refer to him as "Nagi" more often to save me any confusion.**

**Ikuto: So you can't spell characters names right? Whoever let you anywhere near a computer I'll never know. **

**HEY! Lots of people spell his name with an 'e' …at least I think so. **

**Ikuto:… Tsukiyomi Gemma doesn't own Shugo Chara or Pop tarts.**

**No one mentioned Pop tarts.**

**Ikuto: Yeah but you love them and I had to rub it in.**

**Oh…ONWARDS!**

**-----**

Art And Ikuto Chapter 10

_Amaya straightened up and looked around the group of teenagers. She felt safe and happy, something she had never felt for a long time when away from her Keitaro. She smiled with her eyes closed, her tears wetting her long eyelashes slightly._

"Amaya-chan, do you remember how you got those wings on your back?" Nagi pieced his question together carefully, attempting to sound casual about it.

Amaya opened her eyes and peered over her shoulder. She flexed the black tattered wings and chewed the inside of her cheek. "I'm not really sure how I got them."

Nagi looked disappointed, and shrugged slightly at Tadase.

"I mean, I don't remember getting them." Amaya turned back and her gaze swept over the roof. "I just remember waking up with them."

Nagi nodded.

"You were saying Amaya-san?" Tadase urged her from her side.

"Huh?"

"You were explaining how you got on the school roof." Utau reminded her slowly.

Amaya blinked before making a very long "Ohhh" sound. "That's right. Well after school I lost Keitaro-kun in the hallway. They get really crowded." She pouted.

"Then what happened?" Amu asked her, as she tugged at her pink skirt.

"Well, I also walk with him so I waited at my locker for a few minutes, but he didn't show. I thought that he'd be waiting at the school gates so I headed out the doors." She stopped, her happy voice going flat.

Nobody spoke, just watched her as she thought about something. Played it all out in her head.

"So… I went to the school gate." Everyone thought she wasn't going to continue, but her small voice rung on. "And he was there, where he usually waits if we get separated. I was so happy he was waiting for me. But th-then I got closer and I saw he wasn't stood alone." She stammered, failing at trying to keep her voice even.

"He was with that girl." Amu's eyes wandered over to Utau, who was staring at the ground, looking familiar with the subject.

"Yeah." Amaya nodded. "Same old story, huh?"

"Story?" Ikuto frowned at the top of her head.

Amaya looked up at everyone. "Yeah, Girl loves boy…boy couldn't care less."

Tadase's eyes accidentally roamed over to wear Amu and Ikuto sat, closeer together than anyone else, holding hands.

"I'm sure he does care!" Amu demanded across the circle they had formed.

Everyone stared at her, her voice was slightly louder than the last time she spoke. She looked distressed. Angry?

"Amu?" Ikuto breathed, squeezing her hand.

She didn't take her eyes away from Amaya, who looked back at her, just as shocked as the others.

"…Amu-chan?"

"Amaya-chan," Amu took and deep breath and closed her eyes. "You can't say that."

"Say what?" Amaya looked confused and glanced at Utau. Utau just bit her lip and frowned, staring at Amu.

"You can't say that he doesn't care whether you love him or not." Her honey eyes flashed open looking determined.

"I don't understand…" She whispered, clasping her hands together over her chest.

Amu sighed as the breeze picked up a strand of her hair and made it fall in her eyes. "He's your best friend… and even if he might not feel the same way as you do he would care if you loved him or not."

Tadase ripped his eyes from his feet as stare at Amu. _'I hate irony.' _he inwardly sighed.

Amaya slowly titled her hand and rested it on one hand. "Really?"

Amu nodded, smiling.

Something suddenly occurred to Utau. "Hey," Amaya lifted her head. "How are you going to go home like that?" Utau lifted her hand and signalled to Amaya's clothes and wings.

She looked down at her self and picked at her grey skirt resting against her crossed legs. "I havn't really figured that bit out yet…like I said, I woke up like this."

"You didn't wake up here did you?" Amu wondered.

"If you did, then that means someone might have brought you here." Added Tadase. Utau shot a glare at him as his eyes once again wondered in Ikuto's direction. This of course went unnoticed by the oblivious boy.

"Well," Amaya started, eyeing Tadase. "Wait. Why would someone bring me here?"

He laughed nervously, avoiding her scrutinising gaze. "Just an idea, carry on."

"Hmm," She raised an thin eyebrow when she saw Ikuto glaring at Tadase from the corner of her eye. She also saw Amu was looking livid as she ground her teeth together almost loud enough to hear. It felt like the temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees when Tadase turned his head towards the two. He let his eyes drop to the ground once again.

"Well when I saw Keitaro at the school gates with that girl I couldn't stand it. I had this horrible feeling in my stomach. It felt like my heart was sinking and all I could think was 'Ouch.' So I went out of the other side of the gate, I don't think he noticed. Especially when she _hugged_ him." Her eyes went cold and she spat the word like venom, almost as if she was terrified of letting it hang on her tongue a moment longer. "I almost ran home, I didn't care who was watching. I think I cried a little but I'm not really sure. It was all such a blur, I don't even know how I got home. But," She paused and raised her head to stare up into the white depths of the moon. "I thought if I told myself I was fine with him…you know, liking someone…" Her hesitation was clear in her voice, despite her efforts to hide it. "I thought that I could be okay with it. If she likes him back then she'll be around a lot more and I'll have to see her sometime. I thought that I could be okay and could just push it away. But I kept thinking about her hugging him. It might be stupid because it's just a hug but, she got her chubby stinking little face so close to his an-!" She threw her hand over her mouth absolutely appalled at herself, looking like she didn't believe what she just said.

"Amaya?" Utau frowned.

"I…I didn't realise what I was saying! I honestly did not mean to say that about her! I don't think she had a chubby face or anything like that. It just came out! I just wasn't thinking is all. I think she's a great person. I've talked to her a few times before and she's really nice, so that was really mean of me to say…" Amaya babbled on sometimes shaking her hands in front of her face and shaking her head.

"Amaya." Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Amaya stopped dead and pulled her arms to her sides. Ikuto was staring at her, but hardly had any emotion on his face.

'_Probably still has his guard up.' _Amu thought as she gazed up at him them down at their interlocked hands. She smiled to herself, slightly proud of him. He was on edge for her, he didn't know Amaya and she might be dangerous. He was protecting her…because she was important to him. He needed her, just like she needed him. Amu blushed but pulled herself back together when the very person she was thinking of broke through her thoughts.

"You're going to feel bitter towards her. There's nothing to worry about." There was no soft undertone in his voice but his intention was clear. He understood. He understood how she felt perfectly. It was a feeling of jealously he could never forget. You can say anything about a person when jealously begins you consume you entirely…

Tadase glanced at Amu for the millionth time that night.

Oh he knew that feeling only too well.

Even now as he sat with the girl he loved, holding her hand. And by some miracle she loved him back. Whenever Tadase looked at her or spent time with her, that little heavy feeling rose in his chest. It was stupid and he knew it shouldn't be there. But Tadase had his chance with Amu and long time ago and he broke her down, right in front of the entire school. He heard about it from Utau a while ago, she was stood leaning against the door at the back of the school hall not really listening as per usual. But then she heard Amu's confession and watched her run out of the school grounds. "Harsh git." she called him when she told Ikuto about it months later. But even after all that she took him back into her life and treat him like her friend. Did he even deserve that? He shouldn't be aloud anywhere near her according to Ikuto.

"But I said something mean about her…" Amaya sniffed, causing Ikuto to drop the glare he didn't even know he was holding against Tadase.

"You apologized for saying it." He shrugged.

Utau nodded. "It's hard not to be a little…angry at them. And I don't blame you. So really, stop saying sorry." She folded her arms and looked away.

"Utau-chan…"

"It seems we keep interrupting you, Amaya-san." Tadase smiled encouragingly. "You were up to you getting home."

"Oh, right." Amaya chirped, fully returning to what they assumed to be, her usual self. "When I got back Mama was cooking something but I told her I wasn't really that hungry then she asked why I looked so sad but I told her I was fine. She must have believed me because she went back to the food. Well then I ran along on my room and laid on the bed for a while. I started to the think about Keitaro-kun and Kameko-san. I mean, her face was this close!" She lifted to fingers out in front of her and left about one centimetre gap between them, showing the distance she described. "I mean if all she wanted to do was hug him…geez." She sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Well then I got kind of upset about it all over again and walked to the window, it was getting dark by then so I looked up and stared at the moon and I guess I got that moon-stroke thing everyone is talking about."

"Moon-stroke?" Nagi murmured. "What makes you think that?"

"Well Nagi-kun," She grinned. "I got this really weird feeling and fell over, then everything turned black. I don't know how long I was out for, but when I woke up I was here."

Everyone either gasped or frowned. "You didn't come here yourself?" Amu gasped at her.

"Well I might have done, I just can't remember."

"Right…" Mumbled Amu. '_That doesn't make any sense.' _

"When I woke up I was stood leaning against the wall, and I didn't really know where I was, not being here before, so I used these wing things to get up here to look around and see how to get home." She told them. "But then Ikuto-kun showed up on the roof too."

Tadase focused on Nagi and gave him an 'I-told-you-so' look. Nagi just shifted uncomfortably, feeling as if he was being forced into choosing sides. Ikuto saw this and stood up letting Amu's hand fall out of his grasp.

"That's it, I'm sick of this…just because I was first here doesn't mean I had anything to do with it." He spat.

Tadase also stood. "I didn't blame you!"

"You did earlier," He reminded him bitterly. "And I saw those looks you were sending me."

"Well how come you were the first here then if it wasn't you?"

I already explained that, you should have heard me unless you were to busy dreaming up your next plan of world domination." Ikuto sniggered.

"Wha-!?"

"Anyway you were the second here, who's to say _you _didn't have anything to do with it?"

"You're trying to blame me now? Me?" Tadase defended. "Why would I do _that?"_

"Why would _I_?"

"Don't." Amu pleaded from her place on the floor. "Please don't fight." Apparently her words fell on deaf ears as they continued to yell stupid accusations at one another while Nagi and Utau tried to reason with them. The circle of teenagers broke up as everyone but Amu was on their feet by now. Amaya saw Amu on the floor, staring at the ground. She made her way past the now four yelling people. Utau wasn't doing well calming Ikuto down and ended up screaming random insults at Tadase herself.

"I don't care what the hell you say, Ikuto-nii hasn't done anything!" She barked making him flinch.

"You don't have any proof that he didn't!" He told her, exasperated.

"You don't have any proof that he did!"

That shut him up.

Until he started screaming about him turning Utau against him to.

"Oh believe me he didn't have to…" She muttered.

Nagi was at a loss for what to do. He stood watching insults flying between the three (Tadase getting the brunt of it all) trying to interject at any pause. Not that it helped in any way.

Meanwhile Amaya kneeled down in front of Amu.

"Amu-chan?" She whined much like a child would whenever they saw a parent crying.

Amu slowly looked up to her with sad eyes. "It's nothing Amaya-chan."

"It doesn't look like nothing." Amaya reached out to wipe a small tear away just as it was about to run from her eye, as she murmured the words to her.

Amu blinked at her then looked at Amaya's now tear stained thumb. "Ah, I didn't realise." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She wasn't crying yet but she knew she was getting there fast.

"Why are you upset?" Amaya asked her softly.

"Well it's just that," She gazed over at the two arguing boys. _'Ikuto doesn't look too bad when he's angry…' _She thought to herself accidentally. Ignoring the spreading blush she went on. "I don't like it when they fight."

Amaya nodded and gazed over at them herself. Then after a while she stood back up and reached her hand out towards Amu still slumped on the floor. Amu stared at her hand for a second then took it with a grateful smile. Amu was growing increasingly worried about the claw on Ikuto's right hand as he seemed to be getting more and more annoyed.

"Want to see if I can help?" Amaya grinned while Amu was brushing invisible dust of her pink clothes.

"Huh? I don't think you can, Amaya-chan, you don't really know what their arguing over."

Amaya grinned. "I don't need to."

Amu considered her for a moment but still didn't understand what she meant. "I…what?"

Amaya laughed quietly as not to distract all the people screaming or trying to play peace-maker. "Just watch." She winked, then she sauntered over them with Amu's eyes on her back.

"Amaya-chan?" She whispered even though she knew she wouldn't hear her.

Amaya reached Nagi and rested a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see her.

"Amaya-chan?"

"Let me." She smiled sweetly.

Nagi dropped his arms to his side. "Uh, sure."

He watched her cautiously as she stepped out in front of him and between Ikuto and Utau on one side and Tadase on the other.

"Minna." She stood there with her eyes closed. They all stopped mid-sentence as their eyes landed on her.

"Amay-" Tadase began but was cut off.

"Leigh Blossom." She sang.

Tadase, Utau and Ikuto gawked at her. "What are-" Tadase was being cut off a lot that day. A black-purple flower petal fell right out of the sky from nowhere. He picked it of his shoulder. Utau looked up to see what looked like thousands of flower petals falling above them lightly swaying with the wind.

"You should stand back Nagi-kun." Amaya warned from over her shoulder. Nagi looked at her and almost gasped.

"Amaya-chan, your eyes!"

"Please stand back, Nagi-kun." She didn't have her usual smile and she sounded so serious. He obliged and stepped back to stand near Amu who was fast approaching. He heard Amu gasped also from beside him.

"What's wrong with her eyes?" She whispered to him quietly.

"No idea."

Amaya's eyes were shining but not reflecting moonlight. They looked as if they were giving off a light of there own. Her once stormy grey eyes were now black with flecks of purple laced through. The colour matching the colour of her dark rose petals still falling on the three in front of her. The very sight of her emotionless face and dark shining eyes was enough to make anyone shiver.

"Amaya-chan! What are you doing!?" Amu had only just noticed the dark petals descending from the night sky. Just as Amu said it a petal landed on the top of Tadase's forehead, one brushed the skin of Utau's left hand and one drifted past Ikuto's revealed stomach.

"Suddenly… I'm really tired." He yawned just before they all fell to the ground.

"Ikuto!" Amu yelled, expecting his head to crack against the pavement. Her heart started beating incredibly fast and her pulse was pushing against her throat almost choking all the air out of her. All of a sudden thousands of petals surrounded him and slowly and carefully lowered him to the ground.

"You didn't think I would let anyone of them fall, right?" Amaya laughed. Amu looked at them all and Amaya had lifted them all to the ground safely. She sighed pressing the skin of her palm to her head.

"Wait…" Her eyes scanned across the three sleeping figures. "You knocked them out!?"

-----

**Crap that's short. I had to really force myself to get this chapter up. Not only am I feeling terrible at the moment but I kind of got sidetracked with this and it's went a different way than I had hoped. So I had to figure out a way that would work. **

**Ikuto: And that's a really hard thing to do when she feels like crap…**

**Yeah. I've been having to come back to this chapter to edit it so I apologize if it seems all over the place because I lost my idea sheet for this and I had to wing it. Suddenly I've got even further away for my idea and need to think of ANOTHER way to work it in. -sigh-**

**Ikuto: Gemma, how come you couldn't work on this but you **_**could **_**work on another oneshot? **

**That's different! I didn't have all the complications like I did with this! That was to help me get over a tiny bit of writers block. I tried so hard on this and I sat up all night trying to get something down but I only got a few lines. I ended up getting to sleep at 7:00 in the morning! Anyway what does everyone think about this chapter? If you want to complain take it up with Tadase, he needs to get off his lazy backside and do something around here. That's why I took **_Kazumiki chan1_**'s advice and made him clean a cow barn.**

**Ikuto: There is gonna be one happy farmer tomorrow morning. **

**Tadase: I hate my life…**

**Ikuto: -plugs nose- Go take a bath, you stink.**

**Yeah **_**commoner! **_

**Tadase: WHAT?**

**Okay so I promise I'll try harder with the next chapter. Sorry sorry sorry! -cries- But please review anyway! I love reviews~ ^^**


	11. Radiance

_Amu, kouhaixsempai, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, angelitaramos2102, Angel Lilith, and ikuto381amu _**All get to attack Tadase with Amaya's Leigh Blossom at good times. Like when he's in church, then everyone will be mad at him thinking he's being disrespectful and he'll go to Hell. ^^**

**Ikuto: That's a little bit much…I mean **_**Hell**_**? C'mon, Gemma. Even you're not that mean.**

**Tadase: And people don't go to Hell for sleeping in church…**

**Well what about If someone blames you for a murder and says "If it's not true he'll deny it." but the thing is you'll be asleep in church so you **_**can't **_**deny it. And somehow we'll bribe the Devil into taking you. And then we can dress you up as a rabbit while you're still knocked out and being dragged to Hell by your bunny ears. ^^**

**Ikuto: You have put way too much thought into that. I'm kind of scared you'll send me to Hell. **

**Ah there's the problem Ikuto. **

**Ikuto: What?**

**You will either go to Heaven for being hot. Or you'll go to Hell for being…well, hot. **

**Ikuto: What? Why?**

**You make people have…ahem impure thoughts… or so I've **_**heard**_**. -whistles- **

**Ikuto:…**

**Tadase:…**

**Edward Cullen:…**

**I have to um…leave. -Runs out of conveniently placed door, but not before grabbing Edward and running away again- MINE!**

**Tadase: …I don't have to go to Hell do I?**

**Ikuto: -shrug-**

**Amu: Tsukiyomi Gemma does not own Shugo Chara because if she did me and Ikuto would have…wait. What!? -staring at paper- Alright who wrote this **_**filth!? **_

**Ikuto: -Runs out door after Gemma- Please Review! **

**-----  
**

Art And Ikuto Chapter 11

Amu was sat with Ikuto's head cushioned in her lap, brushing the stray locks of blue out of his eyes. She stared down into his sleeping face in awe. He was so peaceful and clam. His soft breathing was moving strands of hair near his mouth. His amazing midnight eyes, she knew were there behind his eye lids, flickered. His transformation had worn off as soon as his head touched the ground, so now Yoru was rushing around distracting everyone.

"Ikuto ~nya! IKUTO~NYA!"

"He's only asleep there's nothing to worry about." Ran mumbled, shaking her head.

"You don't know that ~nya!"

"Yes I do. I can still see him breathing."

Yoru stared at her as she dusted of her pompoms. "But…but…" He frantically looked around.

"Miki ~Nya!"

Said girl jumped and spun around.

"Back me up!"

Miki just frowned at him then glanced at Ran, who was glaring at Yoru with her pompoms shaking in her hands. "I think Ran's right." She shrugged, then bobbed off towards Amu.

"You…" Yoru growled and crossed his arms. "I'm still worried ~Nya."

"He'll be fine. Ikuto's tough." Ran said in a much softer tone.

Yoru nodded as he stared at Ikuto in Amu's arms.

"Hey, I don't think we've met properly." Ran spun around and came face to face with Amaya.

"Ran, Amu-chan's chara!" She beamed.

"Amaya. Nice to meet you!" She took Ran's outstretched hand and shook it between her finger and thumb. "And you're Ikuto-kun's chara, right?"

Yoru nodded still watching Ikuto's face over Amu's shoulder. "Yoru ~Nya."

Amu felt a little uncomfortable. Not because she was crouching on the floor with her handsome boyfriends head resting against her thighs. Not because three of her friends were all currently unconscious in the early hours of the morning on top of the school. Not because she and Nagi were alone with an X transformed girl they just met. Not even because she was a young thirteen year old out in the dark without the protection of a trusted adult. No. Amu felt uncomfortable because she was sat in an old t-shirt and sweats.

"I think you're overreacting Amu-chan." Miki mused, watching her owner tug at her grey sweats.

Amu ignored her. "The one day my pyjamas are in the wash too…" She muttered.

"You look fine Amu-chan." Nagi reassured her from beside Utau. Amu looked over to him, he was leaning down near Utau's back. "Don't worry about it."

Amu smiled back, not that she believed a word he was saying, before returning her attention to Ikuto. He rolled over so his chest was pressed against the floor and the side of his face was pressed against her legs, so he was facing her stomach. Her face began to burn up in the quickest possible time, along with the rest of her body. She shifted underneath his head in hopes he'd wake up, move at least. No such luck.

Sighing she let her gaze fall on the still sleeping Tadase. Kiseki was glaring daggers at Amaya, who was stood near by scratching the side of her face. Realising Amu was looking at her Amaya shuffled in her place. "Heh…I'm really sorry about this, Amu-chan."

Amu blinked for a moment, then laughed to herself. "Well it did stop them fighting, I guess."

Amaya grinned sheepishly. Then turned to face Tadase. She bit her lip and went down onto her knees. Tadase was sprawled across the roof in a messy manor. Amaya looked him over then stared at Kiseki.

"Who are you?" She asked him, smiling.

"Humph." He crossed his arms and rose high above her head, looking down as he replied. "I'm Kiseki, Tadase's guardian chara."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Amaya." She lifted her pinkie finger, like she first did with Miki, but he stared at it, almost in disgust. Her smiled faltered and she dropped her hand unceremoniously to her side. "Right…" She mumbled.

Miki appeared from behind one of Amaya's black wings, frown comfortably on her face. She shook her head at Kiseki before smiling and alerting Amaya to her presence.

"Amaya-chan, come help Nagi and me wake Utau up." She smiled as she floated round and stopped in front of Kiseki, then she glared over her shoulder. "Kiseki can wake Tadase up by himself."

Amaya looked between the two chara's frowning. "Sure, Miki-chan." Then she got up, brushing off her knees with the palm of her hands.

Amu watched as Amaya patted Utau on the shoulder.

"Utau-chan. Utau-chaaan!"

"Whoever is saying that, tell them to shut it." Amu heard Ikuto groan, his voice muffled by the fabric of her sweats.

"I-Ikuto! Your awake." She sighed. "You can get off my now." She felt a look of relief pass across her face, but it didn't last long. Ikuto wrapped his arms around Amu's waist and dug his face into her stomach.

"I don't want to." He said selfishly into her flat belly. She involuntary shuddered when she felt his lips move against the thin fabric of her top.

"Ikuto!" Amu reached behind her back, trying to untangle his fingers from her baggy black shirt. In response he tightened his grip. "Let go."

"Sound as if you want me to, and I will." He smoothly replied, without missing a beat.

She groaned, and even though he couldn't see her face he just knew that see was glaring at the back of his head.

"You're such a kid."

That made him laugh. "Coming from you?"

"W-well if that's the case, then you're the one dating a kid!" She stuttered, already feeling that she'd regret saying that. And she was right. Damn, sometimes she really hated being right.

Ikuto quickly hugged her tight to his chest and pulled her back, startling her. Somehow Ikuto had ended up lying on the floor as Amu sat on top of him, straddling his hips with hers.

"AH!" Amu put her hands on either side of Ikuto's head and tried to push herself up, but Ikuto was quick to grab her hips and hold her in place.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Amu was just about ready to wipe that smug smirk right off his face when they heard polite coughing. They both looked off to the side and saw Nagi and Amaya helping Utau off the ground, all staring at them, and Tadase a little way off, gawking at Amu and Ikuto.

"I…I…" Amu stammered, trying to push herself off Ikuto. But of course Ikuto wasn't having any of that just yet. He held her hips tightly, but not enough to hurt her.

"G…get off."

"You're the one on top of _me_, Amu."

She started to struggle so Ikuto chuckled and relished his hold on her hips. He took his chance, as she was straightening up her clothes, to take in her appearance. She was pouting but he knew she was fighting a smile. Light grey sweats hugged her curves then got loose further down her legs. She had on a plain turtle neck black top, that looked quite large on her as it hung off her body. Her pink hair was dishevelled as if she just woke up, her cheeks were dusted with a prominent red and she didn't have any socks or shoes on. Ikuto thought she looked beautiful. He smiled to himself and got up.

"Typical," Everyone but Amu stared at him, as Amu had taken to glaring. "The moment I wake up she dives on me." He crossed him arms and looked smug.

Amu rushed behind Nagi and peered over his shoulder. "I…I didn't! You…you grabbed me!" She pointed an accusing finger at him from behind Nagi, who was grinning and scratching the back of his head.

Ikuto rolled his eyes. "Sure I did, Amu."

"You did!"

He smirked at her before turning his attention to Amaya. "Now then."

She stopped smiling at the bickering couple. "Huh?"

"Just what did you do to us?" Ikuto barked at her.

"Yeah," Utau shook Nagi's hand off her elbow. "Why did we just collapse?"

Amu stepped out in front of Amaya, blocking Utau and Ikuto's view of the girl. "That might have been my fault."

They stopped marching towards Amaya to then stare at Amu.

Utau folded her arms over her chest. "Your fault?"

Amu nodded silently.

She raised an eye brow at her friend. "How?"

Amu grinned and scratched the side of her neck, resting the palm of her hand against it. "I didn't like the fighting…"

Ikuto frowned at her. "What?"

Amaya coughed and put her hand on Amu's forearm, gently moving her put of the way. "She looked really upset and you were all shouting and wouldn't stop, so I…sorry." She stared down at the floor as she rubbed small circles into her shoulder.

Ikuto glowered at the top of her head, but let it go.

"How long were we out for?" Tadase asked, walking up to the rest of the group with Kiseki in his wake.

"Not that long." Nagi told him.

"Around half an hour." Rhythm clarified.

"You knocked us out for half and hour?" Ikuto seethed at Amaya. Amu once again stood in front of her and glared right back at Ikuto.

"You wouldn't stop fighting. She did it to help me."

Ikuto watched as she stood, hands on hips. Honey vs. Midnight…

"Okay, fine." He lifted his arms in front of his face.

Midnight looses.

"Just…never do that again." Ikuto shoved his hands into his pockets and stared into Amaya's grey eyes, sending an unspoken warning. Amaya nodded, holding a small fist over her chest.

"Sorry. I don't know how I did that…"

After everyone had settled down again (and Utau had stopped making snide comments about Tadase snoring), they sat and watched as the sun burst forth through a dark, cloudy shield. Amu sat crossed-legged in the space between Ikuto's legs as he hugged her from behind, resting is head next to hers on her shoulder. Utau was slumped against the rail, yawning. Nagi was sat formally and was talking to Amaya across from him. Tadase was at a loss, he was just sat far behind Amu and Ikuto while Kiseki complained about how rude 'this Amaya girl' could was. Tadase forced himself to be happy for Amu but that made him resent the entire situation more so. Thus making him even more angry with himself. He leaned forward and accidentally caught sight of Amu's face from around Ikuto's shoulder. She was practically glowing. Her eyes were sparkling, and she just looked happier. At ease. Tadase sighed. She had never looked like that when he was alone with her. Sure she had been happy, but Tadase could never make her happy like Ikuto could. Ikuto didn't even have to try. All he had to do was be there, and that narked Tadase no end. How is it that someone against her, someone working in league with the enemy, could make her entire day just by showing up for a few minuets? What did he have that Tadase didn't?

"Stop it…" Tadase whispered to himself.

"Stop what?" He looked up rapidly, seeing Amaya on her feet in front of him. When did she get there?

"N-nothing, Amaya-chan." She brushed off. "Just thinking out loud."

"Oh." She took a seat next to him.

They both sat in silence, watching the sluggish path of the sunrise.

"I know you love her." Amaya stated like a fact.

"What?" Tadase's head snapped his the side to stare at her. "Love who?" As if he didn't know.

Amaya giggled lightly. "Amu-chan, of course."

"I don't."

Amaya sighed wistfully, like she was expecting that from him. "Yes you do, Tadase-kun."

He just looked at her. No trace of emotion on his baffled face.

"I might not have been with all of you that long, but I can tell when someone loves one of their friends." She looked down and pulled at a black thread lining her skirt. "I should know."

Tadase sighed and gazed back up at the lightening sky. The clouds that once occupied the night were quickly diminishing and being pushed out towards the very edge of his view. "It wouldn't matter even if I did. Amu-chan loves Tsukiyomi Ikuto. There's nothing that could change that."

"Do you want to change that?"

"No! No, of course not. She's…" He stared at her as she tried to wriggle free of Ikuto's grasp. She wasn't even really trying. "She's happy."

Amaya nodded. "She looks it."

"Ne, Amaya-chan?"

"Hmm." She yawned.

"Where will you be staying until…your back to normal?"

She froze then slowly dropped her arms. "I…uh, don't know."

Tadase rubbed his chin his the palm of his hand. "Well, I guess if it's not for long then…"

He turned his head and saw her innocent, interested face peering back at him.

"You could stay in the Royal Garden. It's the place we all meet up in school." He explained.

Her child-like face lit up. "Are you sure?"

He nodded and stood up. "Could you please tell everyone the news, and that I've gone home to change."

Amaya also nodded and danced away, but she stopped and called over her shoulder. "Thanks, Tadase-kun!"

He just lifted his hand smiling and watched her twirl her way over to Utau, dressed in a purple top and black pyjama shorts. She pulled her up lightly by her hand and Tadase saw her start talking, Utau didn't really seem to care. She was more interested in slipping back down to the floor and attempting to sleep. Tadase squeezed his eyelids closed and opened them again, trying to rid himself of the stinging feeling, then turned on his heel and walked towards the stairs. Upon finding the door locked he mumbled,

"Kiseki."

And character transformed, gently lowering himself to the ground, apparently unnoticed.

-----

"So you're staying in the royal garden?" Amu asked Amaya, shielding her eyes from the searing light of the sun.

"Aha!"

"Great. We'll see you through school then."

Ikuto frowned. "What about your parents?"

Amaya closed one eye and titled her head, staring off into nothing. "I'll…I'll tell Mama that I'm staying with Papa for a while!"

"But wont they notice if you don't turn up?" Nagi quizzed, getting up from the ground.

She shook her head. "No, they aren't together and don't really talk much." Her voice was quiet and low. "Anyway, I'll ring Mama at around eight, she'll be up for work around then."

Ikuto checked the watch on his wrist from over Amu's head. " Well it's six-thirty now."

Amu almost jumped out of his arms. "S-six thirty?"

"Yeah…"

"Damn!" She pushed his arms from around her and ran straight to the edge of the building. "I've been out all night!" She screamed.

She shouted for Ran and jumped of the edge, landing with both feet secure and on the flat ground.

"I'll be back in half an hour at the royal garden!" At least that's what they all thought she said. She was dashing full speed across the school yard and her voice was trailing along with her.

Everyone watched her until she disappeared from view.

"That was unexpected." Utau muttered.

"Hmm." Amaya agreed.

"Um, I think there might be a problem." Interrupted Nagi. "The garden doors will be locked."

Ikuto sighed exasperatedly. "Well that's easy."

Seeing everyone stare at him, he sighed again and rolled his eyes.

"We break in."

Utau smirked, liking that idea a lot, but Amaya and Nagi shook their heads.

"I don't know what this 'garden' thing is, but I know it's not a very good idea to break in."

"She's right, we can't smash our way through, I mean what would it look like?" Nagi added.

"We wont break anything." Ikuto said. Utau's face dropped, almost into a pout, but she quickly forged it into a scowl. "There's a skylight at the top she can slip through. I just have to bust the lock open." He shrugged like it was nothing. And to him it wasn't, but Tadase would throw a fit if he ever found out about it. And he would find out soon enough. He would probably wonder how Amaya got inside in the first place.

"It's decided then." Ikuto stated, not waiting for anyone to object. Blue ears appeared on his head and his blue tail whipped the air behind him, then he dived across the roof into a tree top and made his way towards the Royal Garden.

-----

"Ikuto ~Nyaaa." Yoru whined as Ikuto stood on the royal garden roof, picking the lock on the window.

"What?"

"Why are we helping this girl?"

Ikuto stopped hitting the lock in frustration and spared a glance at his chara. "Because."

"Ikuto ~Nya!"

"Because, Yoru."

Yoru frowned and crossed his arms before floating in front of Ikuto's face, distracting him from his job again. Ikuto sighed sharply and let go of the lock.

"What now?"

Yoru frowned into his owners eyes, watching him closely. "Why do you trust her?"

Ikuto slowly ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "Why?"

"I want to know ~Nya!"

"…Because Amu trusts her." He told him out of the side of his mouth, as he took one final tug on the lock before it fell from the window. Ikuto's hand dived out and caught it just before it smashed into the glass of the roof, shattering it.

"Amu ~Nya?"

Ikuto ignored him and jumped down through the medium skylight, heading towards the main doors.

"Damn, it's dark in here." He muttered under his breath. It seemed as though the garden was currently in the shade of the giant building next to it. He reached the wall and brushed his hand over it, searching for the handle.

-----

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Amu cursed as she ran full speed across the rooftops. "Crap!" She mutter-yelled, as her foot narrowly avoided getting crammed into a chimney.

"Keep focused, Amu-chan!" She heard Miki yell, speeding along with her.

"Go, go, Amu-chan!" Ran cheered clearly.

Amu gave up on trying to piece together a coherent sentence and settled with grunting something at the pair.

After several minutes, Amu eventually reached her balcony door, praying with all her might that her parents or sister hadn't noticed her absence through most of the night. She squinted through the balcony but couldn't see anything in her room for the light shining on it. All she could see was herself staring back, still dressed as a cheerleader. She frowned. No wonder she was so cold.

"Ran."

"Oh, okay, Amu-chan." Ran dispelled the character transformation.

Amu pressed her hands on the glass of the door and leaned forward, so her hands were above her eyes. Her room was just as she left it. Bed sheets tangled and all over the floor, clothes strewn all about the place, paper covering her desk, Suu floating in front of the door looking angry…wait, what?

Amu slide the door open almost silently and slid it shut just as quietly, save the slight 'click'.

"Suu?" Amu whispered.

Suu uncrossed her little arms and fixed them to her hips, frowning at Amu, Miki and Ran, looking like a mother about to scold her naughty children.

"And just where have you all been ~desu?" Her voice made them all shudder and cower away from her. But Suu only advanced.

"We had to go to the X transformation, Suu." Ran murmured.

"It doesn't take you all night ~desu!"

"Suu we ended up talking to-" Amu began.

"You can tell me tomorrow." Suu said, dropping her arms from her hips. Her scary side completely vanishing. Miki and Ran breathed a silent sigh of relief. "But now I have to tell you something great happened ~desu!" She smiled.

"Huh?" Amu rubbed the back of her hand against her drooping eyes, and she shuffled over to her bed, falling on it face first.

"Amu-chan!" Suu yelled.

"I'm listening, I'm listening."

"Dia's egg hatched!" Suu exclaimed happily.

Okay…_now _she was listening.

She flipped over, planning on sitting up, when in reality she flipped herself over the edge of the bed. "Wha-?" THUMP.

"Hi, Amu-chan."

Amu looked up from her aching knee and stopped rubbing her throbbing head.

"D…Dia?"

"It's been a long time, Amu-chan!" Dia smiled.

"But…but why have you…?" Amu spluttered.

Dia laughed then twirled. "I told you! I'm Amu-chan's radiance!"

"Radiance?" Miki repeated. "So Amu-chan is letting her radiance shine now?"

"Yup!" Sang Dia, swooping down to be on eye level with her exhausted owner on the floor.

"Well, I don't feel very radiant." She mumbled, pulling at the collar of her shirt.

Dia laughed again, shaking her head. "Amu-chan is radiant because she fell in love!"

Amu could do nothing but blink up at her.

"So because she and Ikuto admitted to each other, Amu-chan became more radiant and now you can stay out for good?" Miki clarified slowly.

Dia nodded, her orange hair swishing around behind her head.

"Isn't that great, Amu-chan?" Shouted Ran. "…Amu-chan?"

They all floated over to where Amu was curled up in a ball at the foot of her bed, the side of her face pressed against the side of her mattress.

-----

**I went back to school today. It's the worst thing ever.**

**Ikuto: Well I'm currently being held hostage by Easter. **

**Tadase: And I'm fighting for Amu's love even though I know I'll never get it.**

**Utau: And my mother betrayed me, and I got forced into working for Easter. **

**Nagi: And I'm hiding a huge secret from two of my best friends. **

**Rima: And my parents are always fighting.**

**Yaya: And Yaya's always being ignored for her younger brother. **

**Kukai: And I'm completely left out of the 'Lets-Save-Ikuto' plan.**

…**Okay so maybe not the **_**worst **_**thing ever. But it's pretty bad because I only just went back today and I already have my GCSE homework. -sigh- So the updates are gonna be slow or the chapter is going to be bad. I'll really really really try my hardest but I'm just explaining this to you all encase everything goes downhill from her. This chapter is the first example of that happening. Sorry! But I did try hard and I'm ignoring by business homework for you lot! So please be happy ^^**

**Ikuto: You always ignore your work…**

**No I don't! Anyway is this chapter better than the last? I think it's longer. I worked so hard so I hope you all enjoyed it! How is everyone liking Dia being properly born? Is the reason for her hatching good? **

**Amaya: Everyone who reviews gets a hug from me! ^^ **

**Dia: ****Review**** please! **

-----

**Quote Of The Day: **"I don't CARE if the damn list says I'm wrong! THAT. IS. MY. CLASS!" ~ Tsukiyomi Gemma to the entire school hall.


	12. Blushing

**Thank you to: **_kouhaixsempai, Felling, Angel Lilith, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, The Unknown Angel RC,Cg2 and Nene , Kazumiki chan1 and ikuto381amu_

**I really really have to hurry with this.**

**Ikuto: Why?**

**I'll explain at the end. But first I just have to say. HOLYY CHEESENIBLETS! OH MY GOD! DID YOU ALL SEE SHUGO CHARA 100 AND 101? DID YOU? HUH? AGHHH IT WAS AMAZING AND CUTE AND AMAZING! I WAS SCREAMING FOR AGES AND AGES AND SQUEEING! AND I AM TOO LAZY TO TURN THE CAPS LOCK OFF! YAYY~! **

**Ikuto: O...kay?**

**THE HUG PEOPLE! THE HUG! TAKE _THAT_ TADASE!**

**Ikuto: Tsukiyomi Gemma does not own shugo chara and has nothing to do with the company ectect. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! ^^  
**

**2802**

Ikuto's fingertips brushed against the cool brass of the royal garden door handle. He reached out and took it in his hand, twisting his wrist. The door clicked and swung open, finally letting the suns rays stretch on into the dark.

"See," Ikuto shrugged. "Everything's fine."

"So long as you didn't break anything, Ikuto-san." Nagi told him walking up to the open door.

Ikuto just rolled his eyes and stepped to the side, his arms crossed over his black-clad chest. He leaned his right shoulder against the doorframe, holding up his weight, as he looked at the purple haired boy.

"You going inside?"

Nagi nodded then temporarily turned his back on Ikuto. "Amaya-chan?"

Amaya stepped out from behind a bored looking Utau, who was waltzing up towards the two boys, and then danced over to Nagi near the doors.

"This is where you can stay for a while." He signalled behind his back. Amaya looked over his shoulder. The royal garden was much brighter now. The plants inside rustled, the white vanity style water feature in the centre of the place, pushed sparkling water around the bottom basin. The shadows played beautifully across the hard floor, making shapes and complicated designs.

Amaya stepped forward, past Nagi, and stood in the doorway, a happy smile adorned her face.

"This place is so pretty." She breathed.

Nagi walked up behind her nodding. "I think you'll have to stay away from the windows for a little while. Some of the students walk this way before lessons start."

"Sure!" She cheered, then she ran off towards the plants scattered across the garden, and ran her fingers through them. She marvelled at the way the leaves lit up when the sun beamed down upon them in her hand.

Nagi smiled and made his way towards her, explaining about her stay there, as Ikuto pushed himself away from the door frame and made his was up the path away from the school. He stopped when he was side by side with his sister; she was facing the garden, while he was facing the opposite direction.

"Watch her." He muttered, then he began his walking again.

Utau spun around, to speak to him.

"And be careful." Ikuto told her, still strutting away.

"Wha-" But he was already leaping up into the trees. Utau frowned, then looked back toward Nagi and Amaya, still walking around inside. "Watch her, huh?"

She saw Amaya laugh at something Nagi said.

"Okay, Ikuto-nii, whatever you say." She murmured to herself as she waltzed back into the garden.

"I'm going home." She stated, cutting across their conversation.

"Off to get changed, Utau-chan?" Amaya asked, titling her head. Utau looked down at herself and almost groaned. She was still wearing her short pyjamas.

"Yeah." She said. "I don't know when I'll be back."

Then she turned and walked along the same path Ikuto had used only moments ago, but instead of following her brothers lead, she actually stuck the path, keeping both feet firmly on the ground. Thankfully, no other students were around the school area yet, so she could walk freely. Freely, that is, until she bumped into someone. Someone strangely familiar.

"U-Utau?" Kukai stammered, taking in her quite revealing appearance. But he obediently tried to keep his eyes locked on her barely flushed face. His amazing green eyes almost stayed locked on hers, but they kept flickering until he had to look away from her. Suddenly the fact she was still dressed in her night clothes dawned on her.

"Uh, I have to go." She stated quickly, then she rushed past him and around the corner. When she was positive he couldn't see her anymore, she chanced a peek around the brick wall to see him still standing in the place she left him, staring at nothing. He then glanced to where the was stood, but she darted around the corner and pressed her back against the cool wall. A few moments later she heard his footsteps leading of somewhere. Where? She didn't know. She was just glad he was gone. Scratch that. She was never glad when he was gone. Utau just didn't want Kukai to see her dressed only in a low cut purple top and black shorts. Shorts that hid ridden up her legs so that they were somewhat shorter than when she had first put them on late last night. By the time she had figured that out her face was a bright red, red enough to rival even Amu's blush.

"Nice one, Utau." She grumbled, tugging down her shorts so they were longer. "Make yourself look like a total fool why don't you?"

"Why are you talking to yourself, Utau?" Iru asked, appearing from nowhere.

Utau almost jumped but hid it and stormed off after muttering a quick "I'm not." to her two bothersome charas.

-----

"Amu-chan." Ran crossed her arms. She waited. "Amu-chan!" She bellowed.

"What?" Came Amu's sleepy reply as she stuffed her head further underneath the bottom of her bed. Her chara's, save Dia, all glared at the top of the mattress she was currently hiding underneath. "Uhh…why am I under my bed?"

Dia giggled at Amu's confused voice.

Amu whipped her head out from under the bed, but accidentally bumped her head on her way out. "Di- OUCH!"

Suu swept over to her and began rubbing her owners head. "Amu-chan? Are you okay~ desu?"

Amu blinked then blinked away the tears pooling at the edges of her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." She rubbed her head. "Just got a shock, that's all." She smiled reassuringly at Suu, who nodded and rejoined her sisters.

Miki laughed. "You were too tired to remember about Dia being reborn weren't you?"

"N-no!" Amu growled, though her eyes kept sweeping over to Dia who smiled and shook her head as if to say "It's fine."

"Amu-chan was up all night, she's sure to be tired as soon as she wakes up next." Dia hummed with her small, flowing voice.

Amu smiled at her orange chara. "Yeah…wait. What? It's morning!" Amu jumped up from the floor and grabbed a hair brush, attempting to untangle the knots sleeping on the floor had caused.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Amu half screamed.

"It's not like we didn't try." Miki mumbled as she scooted over to the balcony.

"Well you could have tried harder! Where are you going?"

Miki pulled her hands from the lock on the window and shoved them behind her back. "Nowhere."

Dia titled her head to the side while Suu smiled and Ran grinned.

"Miki?" Amu put the brush down on the table as she slowly rummaged around a draw for an X clip.

Ran grinned even more and slunk up to Miki's side. Miki was wringing her hands out behind her back and was looking out of the window. "Miki's going to go see Yoru!" She cheered. Dia stopped looking confused and chuckled at her blushing face.

"Ran!" Miki went red and turned fully away from her sister to stare at Amu.

Ran laughed and sped away from the little charas angry grasp.

"So can I go Amu-chan?" Miki turned her big blue eyes on her.

Amu shrugged and nodded. "Sure."

Her chara smiled and unclasped the window lock, then sped off into the morning. They all gazed after her for a moment before Amu jumped and started screaming about the time.

"I said I'd be back there soon!" She yell to no one.

Suu rushed around trying to help Amu find her missing X clip, Ran had taken to dragging Amu's shoes near the door, while Dia stood near Amu's un-hatched egg, watching everyone. Suu tripped on one of the pencils that littered her desk and was about to fall when Amu caught her in both her hands.

"Suu! Are you okay?"

"H-hai." She replied, shakily.

Amu breathed a sigh of relief and set Suu back down on the desk carefully.

Dia let her quick breath escape between her lips, before she got closer to the purple egg that sat near Amu's mirror.

"Ne," She smiled. "I have a feeling that we'll get to meet soon." She watched Amu ask Suu if she was okay again, and Suu just told Amu that she was fine. "Very soon!"

-----

"She doesn't know she's an X transformation?" Kukai asked Nagi, as he watched Amaya dipping her hands into the water feature.

"She doesn't even know what that is."

"Oh." Kukai scratched the bottom of his chin. "Say, why was Utau here earlier? She looked kinda… you know." He drawled, not looking him in the eye.

Nagi turned from Amaya to smile at Kukai. "Utau-chan helped us out. And she looked kind of _what_?"

Kukai turned red and shrugged. "Nothing, nothing."

Nagi, Kukai and Amaya heard voices from outside getting gradually closer and closer to the doors.

"What do you mean it's in there!?" Someone asked heatedly.

"Please Mashiro-san! Keep your voice down." They all heard Tadase plead.

Amaya stepped back from the water and wiped her hands on her skirt. "Nagi-kun?"

"Yes?" Nagi asked her quietly, still listening to the ruckus on the other side of the door.

"Who is Tadase-kun talking to?" Her innocent face fell towards the door.

"Um," Nagi itched the side of his neck with his fingertips, as he heard Rima almost yell something about safety at Tadase from outside. "That's Mashiro Rima. She's a guardian too so she wont mind you being here." He told her.

Amaya nodded and looked serious for a moment. Then an earth-shattering grin ripped out across her face. She skipped towards the door and pulled it open quickly, seizing the conversation in front of her.

"I don't feel comfortable wi-" Rima began, but stopped when she saw the winged girl smiling at her from the doorway.

"Rima-chan." Amaya greeted.

Rima didn't seem fazed by the sudden use of her first name. Nor did she seem pleased. "Rakuro-san."

Amaya's face fell and she looked at Tadase. He was smiling but it was obvious that he was forcing it. Painfully obvious.

"Excuse me." Rima said quietly, walking past Amaya as she stepped aside.

"S-sure." Amaya stuttered, even though she knew Rima was already well out of ear-shot. For a girl who was really bad at sports she could really move when she wanted to. When Tadase walked in her pursuit, Rima was already seated regally in her chair with Nagi placing a cup in front of her. Rima had her eyes closed but you could faintly see little creases in her forehead.

Obviously she definitely _did_ mind Amaya being there.

"I can't believe you let this happen." Rima whispered harshly to Nagi by her side.

"She's not dangerous, Rima-chan." He assured her.

"…We'll see." Then she sipped at her cup.

-----

"Where is the stupid thing?" Amu yelled, throwing things all over the floor, much to the dismay of Suu, who looked like she was about the throw a fit. Instead she zoomed around and desperately picked up the discarded items putting them back in their place, just so Amu could throw them again.

Amu had gotten changed in record time but was now adamant in finding a clip to pull back a stary hair that was annoying her.

"What are you looking for?" Dia sang.

"My hair clips." Amu said, momentarily halting her search to gawp at Dia. She was still amazed that she was really there. And staying for good this time. She smiled before throwing her self to the floor, to look under her bed.

"Is this it?" She heard Dia say.

Amu pulled her arms from a pile of old clothes and hopped out from under the bed frame.

Dia was floating right by her head by the time she sat up.

"Where?"

Dia laughed and tapped the side of her head. "There."

Amu frowned and raised her hand to her hair, and she felt the familiar smoothness of an X clip.

"But I was brushing my hair just a second ago! How could I have missed that?"

"Never mind that, Amu-chan! If you don't hurry you'll be late!" Ran shouted, waving her hands above her head.

"Right!" She picked up her packed bag, courtesy of Suu, and ran for the door, following Dia, Suu and Ran. But then she stopped when her new egg caught her eye. She couldn't leave it here.

"Amu-chan!" Ran called.

"Coming!" Amu informed her as she picked up the egg and placed it gently into her bag.

-----

Amu started breathing much more heavily as the school finally came into view. She ignored the curious gazes from her fellow students and picked up her pace, as suddenly her body wanted nothing more than to give up and slump against the school gate. She was late. She stayed up most of the night, and she was still late. Typical.

She dashed around the corner and almost ran right into a small boy, pushing his big glasses further up his nose, who looked strangely familiar to her. She had no time to think about it as she yelled a quick,

"Sorry!"

Over her shoulder and continued running toward the royal garden.

She wrapped her fingers around the warm, gold metal of the doorknob and pulled. The first thing she saw was the plants and water in the middle of the garden, so she stepped to the side to see if anyone was inside. She was met by seven blank stares. Utau wasn't there, so there was another empty seat next to hers. She shuffled up the steps and slumped down into her chair.

"Half an hour ,you said." Ikuto reminded her as he leaned causally against a pillar of the gazebo.

"Sh…shut up." She almost panted. She was exhausted from the run that spanned right from her house to school, without a rest.

Ikuto just smirked in return.

"Good morning, Amu-chan!" Amaya grinned. Rima visibly stiffened and rose an eyebrow at Amu.

"Heh…Good morning, Amaya-chan."

Rima glared at the rim of her cup before setting it down on the table with rage full, shaking hands.

Amu saw that Tadase had came back to school, dressed in his guardians cape and looking neat as usual. Yaya had turned up completely oblivious to what happened last night, and kept glancing at Amaya, until everyone who was there filled her in. Now Yaya kept pouting because Amaya also acted younger than she really was, and was afraid she would steal her attention. Rima didn't bother looking twice at Amaya. She sat drinking tea, ignoring the girls very existence. Nagi sat in the middle of the two girls and was receiving sparing glares from Rima. He too had went home to change. Kukai was sat on the other side of Amaya looking on edge but trying to feign calmness. Amu concluded he too had been told what has happened. Moments after Amu arrived Utau strode through the already open door and took a seat next to her, oppisite Kukai, who for some strange reason had a birght red face and was staring at the celing.

"Your late." Utau told Amu, monotonously. She was also not looking at anyone. Utau was staring off at the side.

"Wha-" Amu spun to frown at her. "How do you know? You only just got here yourself, so your late too!"

Utau shrugged, looking at the floor as she spoke to Amu. "I never promised what time I was coming back, so how can I be late?"

Amu paused. She had a point.

"So," Tadase said, interrupting Amu thinking of a comeback. "We will all be going to class today-"

"I wont." Ikuto muttered from the side.

"- So Amaya-chan will you be okay staying here alone for a while?"

Rima finally looked at Amaya for the second time that morning, but her gaze was not flattering. Amaya shuddered under the small girls eyes.

"Y-yeah, I'll be great, Tadase-kun!"

Tadase nodded and stood, taking the teapot with him as he walked to the back of the glass building.

Amu stared at the side of Kukai's face, he was staring off into space, and was still blushing a dark red.

Amu leaned to her left so she could whisper to Utau.

"Is Kukai..._blushing?" _

Utau head snapped up from the suddenly very interesting floor.

"Is he?" She looked at him and accidentally caught his eye. They both looked away again.

Amu frowned. "And why are _you _blushing?"

"I'm not." Utau protested, crossing her arms and straightening out her skirt. The image of him gawking at her in her night wear invoulentry popped into her head.

"Yes you are, look." Amu touched the side of Utau's pink face, but made Utau blush more.

"I am not!"

Amu pulled her finger back and smiled. "Sure, you're not, Utau."

Amaya giggled at the two girls, apparently listening to there little exchange. Rima was about to glare at Amaya for getting involved with her friends conversation. Rima obviously didn't trust this new arrival. Nor did she intend to.

Rima frowned at Amu, giving her a "What-on-earth-is-happening-here" look. Although Amu could also have taken it as a "Get-_her_-the-hell-out-of-here-NOW." look. But she didn't know which one Rima wanted to put across.

Either way, she was right. Rima wanted both to shine through in her eyes. She looked just about ready to throw Amaya out _herself._

Especially when Amaya asked Rima why she had a clown for a chara.

-----

**A little bit of Kutau there. ^^ Anyway sorry for the short-ish chapter and I wanted to add so much more!**

**Ikuto: Why didn't you then?**

**Well I have some bad news. The wire on my laptop has suddenly broke and now I cant charge it anymore, so I don't think I can update on this until i get a replacement and I don't know how long that will be. I have to hurry and type really fast so I apologize for any mistakes or OOC or anything else that I can get shot for in the name of grammar. **

**Ikuto: Well, I'm suspicious of Amaya, Yaya is annoyed because she's not the only little kid anymore, Utau is starting to keep her eye on her and Rima is getting jealous and doesn't like Amaya. I feel really sorry for this kid. **

**Yeah me too. Anyway I'll try and get a new wire for my computer soon so it might not be that long for the next update. Even though this one was a long wait too...SORRY! AH! I SUCK! **

**Ikuto: Anyway, please review because she can check them on her mothers laptop.**

**Yeah I'm going to steal it off her but I'm never aloud on it for long so i can't write on it and plus i don't want her to read it. So even if I could write it would take me even longer because I would only be aloud 10 minuets a day! **

**Ikuto: Also reviews would really make her happy right now becuase she blew of all her coursework and used up the last battery left on her computer to get this chapter up. **

**I have months of detention in store now. Darn...OH MY GOD I JUST THOUGHT, NOW I CANT WATCH BLEACH OR SHUGO CHARA IF I DONT HAVE A WIRE! My life stinks.  
**

**Amaya: Ohh look at the pretty button~ Please Review^^ (P.S Was the Kutau alright?)  
**


	13. Bad Things, Rimatan!

_Rini-Chan95, Cg2 & nene, sakurauchiha0inonara, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, kouhaixsempai, Ikuto's-ultimate-fangirl-gf _**get hugs from anyone they want!^^**

**Ikuto: Don't want to get glomped, don't want to get glomped.**

**Well it's good that it's not upto you then. **

**Ikuto: -pout- Meanie.**

**Oh, by the way, I'm so glad that someone noticed the lack of Rimahiko and don't worry I am a fan it's just i tried to put it off a little longer for this chapter. Basically this chapter is short and frankly not great. I told you all that I don't have a wire for my computer and I haven't got a new one yet, apparently I have to get a ''job'' thingy. I've been onmy brothers laptop (thankfully he hasn't found out yet.) and my mothers laptop (She keeps wondering where her laptop disappears for hours at a time.) and i've only added a poem and a few drabbles. **

**Ikuto: She tried real hard with this, so please be nice!^^**

**Rima: Please review! ^^  
**

-----

Art And Ikuto Chapter 13

By Tsukiyomi Gemma.

"So how about it?" He asked Utau as she stood near the cafeteria doors with Amu, Nagi, Rima, Yaya, Tadase, Kukai and Ikuto.

"So how about what?" Utau drawled, staring past him.

This boy -who Utau had hardly ever spoken two words two before- had pompously swaggered up to her in the hall during lunch, and was currently in the middle of asking her out on a date. About the fifteenth offer she had gotten in the last hour.

This arrogant boy of who she assumed to be the Asano Kyon, the big-headed jock who had once beaten Kukai in the last summers soccer game. She was only guessing at his identity, but was proven right when the sound of Kukai's teeth grinding together became audible.

"So how about going _out _sometime?" This Asano person grinned. "Oh, hi there, Souma." He greeted, nodding curtly to Kukai acting as if he had only just noticed his presence.

Instead of a usual hearty reply, Kukai looked ready to spit at the boys feet, and ready to punch him to the ground when he winked at Utau. In turn Utau just raised an eyebrow at his cockiness.

Everytime the same thing would happen. For some reason whenever she got asked out Kukai would stop talking and glare daggers -more like swords- at whoever was speaking. She had asked about it casually but he denied everything. Same old Kukai.

The blond haired singer blew air between her lips . "Look...whatever your name is-"

"Please," He stopped her. "Call me Kyon."

"Don't interrupt me." She reprimanded him coldly. "If you didn't stop me then you would have gotten an answer, but now you had to wait a little longer while I tell you to never do that again. Got it?" She added an icy stare to make a point.

"G-Got it." He nodded quickly, making a mental note to never cross this girl.

Amu, Nagi, Rima, Yaya and Tadase all shared a sympathising look for the boy, while Ikuto folded his arms and rolled his eyes. Could this take any longer? He was hungry.

"C'mon Amu." He said taking her hand.

"Huh?" She looked up at him. "Where are we going?"

He started to lead her away to the rising dinner queue, ignoring the stares of the guardians they just left. "To go eat, I'm not waiting around just to watch Utau let someone down while Kukai gets jealous again."

"Oh," She caught up with him and kept a hold on his hand, not even seeing the pupils around them start to whisper with admiration in their words and their eyes. "Wait, you think Kukai's jealous?" She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kukai, stiff as a board, watching the exchange between Utau and the guy who asked her out on a date. Ikuto was right.

"Yeah. Why else would he look like he's about to kick the life outta that kid?"

Amu looked over once more. Ikuto was right again. Kukai's leg kept on twitching, looking like it was just dying to be planted right into someone's gut.

"Tuna salad, please." Ikuto told the young woman behind the counter.

The woman looked up from picking at her pink nails so take Ikuto's lunch order, but stopped dead when she saw him. "A-aha, right."

Ikuto raised an eyebrow at her.

The woman stood perfectly still just gazing dreamily at Ikuto. Amu could swear she saw her swaying.

After anther thirty seconds or so she slowly began to regain the power of speech."T...tuna salad...was it?"

Ikuto nodded cautiously. The woman beamed at him.

"How about my phone number to go?" The sugar dripping off her voice was enough to make Amu want to gag, then she actually heard what the woman had said.

_'What? Why that-!'_

"No... _thank you. _Just the food will do." Ikuto told her frowning at the door.

"Oh. Right." She visibly deflated. "And," She asked as she caught eyes with a furious looking Amu. "For your friend?"

"Girlfriend, actually." He quickly corrected her, pulling Amu closer by her hand. Amu smiled softly to herself hearing his voice lace itself around those words. His girlfriend. The one he wanted to be with.

She looked from the back of the till at the pretty, around-25-year-old woman. Then she couldn't help it, she smiled a sickening sweet smile and used a voice just as disgusting.

"I _do_ hope you find someone of your own and don't have to throw yourself at one who's already taken, or waiting in a school lunch queue. Maybe someone your _own _age perhaps? Then maybe it wouldn't be_ illegal!_" Then she dropped Ikuto's hand and strutted over the the door, slamming it behind her.

"Amu!" She heard before it closed.

She fell back against the smooth metal of the shut door. "Okay...that might have been a little bit of an overreaction."

She heard a laugh. "Yeah, I'd say."

"Huh?" She jumped forwards at the sound of a voice. "Kukai."

Kukai laughed again and walked towards her. "The one and only."

"What are you doing out here?" Amu asked, sitting down at the side of the school building.

"Apart from listening to your little outburst, nothing much." He replied joining her.

"It was not an outburst!" The pink girl demanded.

"Yeah sure it wasn't."

They sat for a moment, breathing in the fresh summer scent and letting the wind tickle their faces, until an idea suddenly came to Amu.

"I know why your out here!" She gasped, pleased that she figured it out.

Kukai slid one eye half open. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Amu balled her hand up into a fist in front of her. "You're out here because you had to get away from that guy and Utau, because you felt jealous!"

Kukai nearly toppled over. "Wh-what!?"

"I'm right, aren't I?" Amu stood and pointed down at him.

He didn't answer, just stared at the floor, so Amu lowered her arm and knelt down in front of him. "Kukai?" He looked away. "I'm sorry." She said, looking down at her knees.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for." He mumbled.

She stared hard at him. "You _do_ like her." She whispered.

Kukai frowned harder. "Maybe."

Amu smiled. "That's great!"

"No it's not!" Kukai stood quickly and turned away, leaving Amu to look up at his back from the floor. "Utau's not interested in anyone. Have you seen how many people she's turned down?"

"That doesn't mean-"

The door rolled open, interrupting Amu.

"Hey." Ikuto smiled softly at Amu as he shut the door behind him. But a black shoe stepped out and jammed the door, stopping it from closing.

"At least _try _not to slam the door in my face next time, Ikuto-nii." An annoyed sounding girls voice saidat the doorway.

"Yeah sorry, Utau." Ikuto rolled his eyes.

Kukai looked over at Amu, who Ikuto was helping from the ground, and mouthed the word "Please." to her.

Amu looked from Utau, who was just stepping out into the grounds with Yaya behind her, and back to Kukai.

"Okay." She whispered as she and Ikuto passed him.

Ikuto gace her a questioning look, and she told him that she'd explain later.

-----

Asano watched as Utau walked away with another girl following her.

"Kukai!"

Kukai? So she was going after Souma? The boy shrugged then looked back to the three remaining people. Rima, Tadase and Nagi. He grinned when the small, blond girl met his eye. She met his stare with an obviously uninterested frown.

"Hey, how about we-"

"I wouldn't do that." They all heard an unusually low voice say. Nagi suddenly stepped partly in front of Rima, sheilding her from the boys eyes. He tried to stare Nagi down, but Nagi held his gaze firm. Rima peeked from around his arm.

"_I was only_ going to ask her out."

"And I _was only_ telling you not to." Nagi countered, smiling innocently.

"Smooth." Rima smirked.

The boy growled then stormed off to rejoin the other pigheaded jocks in the far corner.

"Uh, thanks." Rima mumbled quietly in Nagi's general direction.

"No problem." He itched the back of his head. "Oh, I have to go get my history book for last lesson."

Tadase stopped walking towards a table. "Want me to come with you?"

"No thanks, Hotori-kun, I'll only be two minutes." Then he left for the lockers.

-----

"Sorry about what happened in there." Ikuto stopped walking to look Amu deep in the eye.

Amu seemed temporarily dazed. She couldn't get any words together. Him and his stupid, beautiful, intoxicating eyes. And the way his hair shines and looks so smooth when he touches it. And his skin, the most amazing shade ever. His stupid soft warm lips, that she was dying to reach up and brush against her fingertips.

_Dammit Amu!_

"Huh?" She stammered, trying to seem the slightest bit normal.

Ikuto smirked and leaned back. "About that girl at the till, it wasn't my fault."

"Oh. That. Well I know that." She folded her arms and pretended not to be bothered. "I don't own you or anything. You can do what you like."

"Outside character again." She heard Ran mumble.

_'Whoa, when did she get here?' _Amu looked down at her waist and saw her black and red bag. _'...Ohh.'_

She pulled her hand out of her arms-crossed pose and prodded the side of her bag with her finger.

"Ah!" She heard her charas yell.

"See Ran! Now you made her angry!" Miki scolded from inside, Amu could picture Miki fixing her hat perfectly.

"So," Ikuto drawled. "I can do whatever I want, huh?"

"Yeah, whatever you want." She frowned. "I don't care."

_'Lair.'_

_'Shut up, brain!'_

Ikuto shrugged. "Okay."

Then he reached out quickly and pressed the palm of his hands to her back, effectively pulling her into his toned chest, he leaned his head down and captured her lips softly in one smooth motion. Then walked forward until her back was touching the bark of a tree. He took his hands from above her head and wove them through her now messy hair. Her fingers followed his jaw line until her hands were around his neck and had a hold of the hair on the back of his head. They each pulled the other closer and closer until there was no more room left to move between them. Both hearts beating wild and rapid in their chests.

-----

"Now," Utau began tapping her foot on the ground. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me?" Kukai asked, stunned. "What do you mean _what's wrong with me_?"

"Exactly that." She sighed, she kicked the rocks on the floor to clear a place next to Kukai, then she slid to the ground carefully. "Hey, Yaya."

Yaya looked from a depressed looking Kukai. "Utau-chan?"

"Tadase, Rima and Nagi are inside."

"Eh, but Yaya wants to stay with Kukai~!" She whined, waving her hands around over her head.

Utau sighed.

"Yaya," Yaya stopped jumping around at the sound of Kukai's stern voice. "Why don't you go find Amu?"

Yaya pouted. "How come you call Amu, Amu just like that but it took so much longer for you to call Yaya, Yaya?"

Kukai froze. "...What?" He scratched his head.

"Forget it I'll go ask Amu-chi myself!" Then she skipped away around the corner Amu and Ikuto went.

"What did she just ask me?" Kukai wondered out loud.

Utau shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Now tell me why you've been acting weird."

"I haven't been acting weird."

"Kukai!" Utau was getting tired of this game. Every time she asked about it he'd make out like she was in the wrong. Today she was going to hear a straight answer from him whether he liked it or not. "Kukai, please just tell me. In there you just stormed out."

"You didn't have to follow me."

"I know that."

"You could have just stayed in there with the jerk." He muttered as he pushed the dirt on the ground about with his index finger.

"I know...that. Is that what this is all about?" She straightened up and turned her body so that she was facing him fully. He turned his face to the side so all she could see was the back of his head.

"No." He bit.

"I knew it." She sighed. "You've been acting like this every time someone comes near me."

There was a pause.

"Why?" Utau all but whispered.

"What?" Kukai sighed, relaxing his shoulders.

"Why are you..." She stared at her skirt, and brushed stray dust off the red fabric, before pulling her knees underneath her and crawling in front of Kukai. If he wouldn't say anything then she'd have to make him. When he looked up she was inches away from his face. "Why are you acting like this?"

Kukai tried to move back but found that the wall blocked his escape, and his plan had completely backfired as she was now closer than she was before. Her hands were planted on either side of his legs and she was leaning close to him. "Tell me."

"I...um...well..." He stammered.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" They both heard a girl screaming. Then Yaya burst around the corner screaming something about 'her being too young to see people doing that' and then she stopped running when she saw Utau leaning over Kukai and trapping him between a wall.

Very long awkward silence.

Blank stares.

Utau still leaning over Kukai.

Kukai blushing like mad.

"Ahhhhh!" Yaya's shrill scream broke through the reverie of silence. "You're both doing it too!"

"EH-?" Kukai and Utau yelled, diving away from each other.

"First Amu-chi and Ikuto, and now Utau-chan and Kukai!" She yelled before running back into the cafeteria with her hand flapping wildly above her head.

It was silent again until Yaya once more ruined it. They faintly heard her voice from the door along the side of the wall.

"No, Rima-tan! Don't go out there, it's-it's just...bad things, Rima-tan! Bad things!"

A few seconds later Rima appeared at the door, gave Utau and Kukai a suspicious look then glanced over to where Amu and Ikuto still stood under the tree.

"Oh. _That's _what Yaya meant." Then without another word she went to shuffle back through the open door when something else caught her eye.

That something being Nagi and Amaya.

They were alone and Amaya was leading him -by hand- to the empty royal garden, a smile on her lips. _Why are they alone? _

Kukai and Utau finished blushing and followed her gaze. Kukai looked at Rima then back and the two people hand in hand, then his face dropped. "Oh." He sighed.

"Um, why are Nagi and Amaya-chan going in there?" Amu asked appearing from nowhere.

Ikuto took one look at Kukai and Utau on the ground -as far apart as possible,faces still red- and smirked, giving his sister a 'Oh-so-_that's_-what's-going-on-here?' look.

"...Shut up." She mouthed at him, glaring hard.

"So," Dia flew out of Amu's bag and floated in front of Rima.

"Dia!?" Kukai spluttered. "When did that happen?"

"That's the "X-transformation" girl?" Dia continued, focusing on the winged girl along the path.

_Ignored by a chara...good going Kukai._

"Yeah." Rima muttered. "She's nice isn't she?" She said quietly.

Looking once more at their entwined hands, and the girls happy smile, she left and made her way back inside.

"R-Rima!" Amu yelled. "I have to go." She whispered to Ikuto at her side, he nodded back.

"Dia, come on." She shouted over her shoulder as she ran after her friend. Damn, she really _was_ a quick walker.

Dia nodded but before turning her head she spotted Utau still slouched on the ground. Slowly she made her way over and stopped in front of her.

"Dia..." Utau murmured.

Suddenly seeing the chara again...seeing her again it brought everything back. Everything Utau did to Amu. She tried to hurt her. She even took Dia from her and attacked her using her own power. Everything Utau had yet to apologize for, Amu said it was okay, that everything was over now, but the numb tug at her heart every time she looked at Amu was still there. This pain and guilt.

And now. Seeing the chara that she had attacked Amu with.

Ouch...

Utau's eyes almost filled with tears when she remembered the sight of a defenceless looking Amu, crouched on the floor.

Utau guessed Dia was thinking exactly the same thing as her facewas showing just as much pain as she guessed her own was betraying.

Dia smiled sadly. A look that said "Everything's fine now".

"It's good too see you again, Utau-chan." She sang slowly.

"Yeah," Utau nodded. "It is."

-----

**Yayy~! Somethingg~! Wooooo~! **

**Ikuto: Gemma,we really need to get over this ''loosing your mind'' thing.**

**But i've been I'll and alone for FOUR DAYS! I'M LONELY IKUTO! And Shugo Chara Doki's finishedd! SHUGO CHARA PARTY HURRY UPP! ZOMGZZ BRAINS**

**Ikuto: GEMMA! You are NOT a zombie!**

**-mumbles- I know...**

**Ikuto: Then stop chewing on the reviewers heads, please.**

**...Tehehehehehe, okay! **

**Zombie Friend: REVIEW! ^^**

**-----**

**Quote of the day (Well, last week.)**

Random Person: EWW, YOU'RE SUCH A GOTH! YOUR ALL DRESSED IN BLACK!

Me: ...

Random Person: ...

Me: You _do_ know this is my school uniform, right? -.-''


	14. Authors note ,Sorry!

Okay, not another chapter but an authors note. Sorry sorry SORRY! Believe it or not i have been SUPER BUSY lately, and have had barely no time on the laptop. Mine is still broken, and i haven't even been able to watch Shugo Chara Party either! Ahhh! I'm super sorry and I swear I'll get started on the next chapter right sway. Right now actually, right after I finish this authors note... really! I promise. I just got in from trick or treating (Yes,I know. I'm too old for trick or treating, but I LOVE halloween! It's my second favorite holiday!) Right so...I'm going to re-read last chapter and get something down. Again i am so sorry,I feel so bad! Love, Tsukiyomi Gemma 


	15. Leave her

**Okay...I officially suck. I honestly cannot apologize enough! It's been so long since i've updated. I still don't have another computer and my familyis being selfish and not letting me online for long or not at all. I haven't even been able to watch Shugo Chara Party! T-T**

**Thank you for all the reviews on chapter 13: **Rini-Chan95**, **Yoru-chan-Amuto-freak, Aangsfan, kouhaixsempai, Kazumiki chan1 and TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi

**Ikuto: You DO suck. Just a warning...there's no Amuto in this chapter. At. All. T-T**

**Gemma: I honestly can't tell you how bad I feel, and this is the shortest chapter ever, It may seem really really REALLY pointless butI promise it isn't. Even if the chapter is really bad.  
**

**Ikuto: We've been waiting ages for this, and nothing interesting happens?**

**Gemma: I tired so hard to make time, I swear to anything! I am really ashamed of this. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't pay anymore attention to this fic. **

**_Tsukiyomi Gemma does not own Shugo Chara._  
**

Art and Ikuto Chapter 14

By Tsukiyomi Gemma

_Tap, tap, tap..._

For twenty minutes she's been doing that.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap..._

Tapping, always damn tapping.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap..._

Amu wished Rima would just put that stupid pencil down.

_Tap, tap, ta-_

Finally Amu had reached out and took Rima's small hand, stopping her -finally- from hitting the table once more with her bright red pencil.

"Please stop doing that, Rima."

"...Doing what?"

She withdrew her hand from Amu's grasp and resumed that infuriating tapping.

_Tap, tap..._

"That." Amu said. "Look..."

She lowered her voice to a whisper again after the hard glare she received from the teacher.

"None of us know why Nagi and Amaya-chan are in there alone." Her eyes rolled over the window where the roof of the royal garden could be seen. Rima's own eyes narrowed.

"I'm not finished yet!"

Rima raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe, they're talking about what Amaya's going to do next?" Amu offered.

Rima scoffed. "And she couldn't talk about that with all of us?"

"Girls."

Amu jumped as she and Rima looked up at the towering man in front of them. His hair was messy and his glasses gleamed in the school light filling the classroom. "Is there a problem?"

Obviously, if there _was _a problem, now was not the time to be discussing it with him.

"N-no."

The teacher turned his eyes to her. "That's good to hear, Himamori-san." He smiled. "If not, then would you care to explain why you and Mashiro-san haven't been working at all this lesson?"

"_No, I wouldn't." _She thought, bitterly.

Mentally slapping herself she answered. "We were...um."

Frowning, she thought of an excuse. Why weren't they working anyway? All Amu had done since entering the classroom was watch Rima silently, waiting for her to snap. Why she thought Rima _would_ snap...Amu didn't really know. But the look on her small friends face when she saw Amaya and Nagi holding hands, walking to an empty, private place...

Phew. Thank God _that_ look was gone.

Ah. She had spoke to soon; It was back.

Nagi had just walked into the classroom, clutching at his orange and blue history book. He walked upto Nikaido -luckily for Amu as she was still struggling to find a plausible reason for not doing the assigned work- and apologised for his lateness. He explained something along the lines of forgetting his history book, which struck Rima as a plain lie, as she was there when Nagi left to retrieve his work book ages before actual class started.

"Been with Amaya, have we?" She whispered under her breath, folding her arms. No one had heard her. She didn't care.

Rima couldn't even look at Nagi right now. Lying about where he had been... he didn't really think that the guardians would believe his lies, even if the gullible teacher did, did he?

"Rima-chan?" She had heard his voice,there was no denying that. Especially when she flinched and turned away from him with her eyes closed. Nagi frowned at Amu, who smiled and looked away nervously, before making his way over to his desk.

The lesson dragged on much too long. Much too long for Amu's liking anyway. Sat in between Rima's frosty glares, and Nagi's confused glances, she was ready to lose her sanity.

She didn't even know why Rima was being so cold.

...Well she did.

Nagi and Amaya,alone in the royal garden. Innocent enough, right? Apparently Rima didn't think so, Amu thought as she watched Rima scowl a hole in the teachers face. Nikaido flinched away and slumped into his chair, rubbing the side of his face.

-----

"IS there something wrong Rima-chan?" Nagi asked, as he Rima and Utau fought to catch up with Kukai and Amu.

Rima stopped chewing viscously on her aching lip and looked at him slowly.

"No... nothings wrong. Why would anything be wrong?" She scowled.

Nagi sucked his lips together, preparing to bite the bullet that was sure to come. "You've been ignoring me half of the day...and even when you didn't you've been glaring a hole into the back of my head. There must be something wrong, Rima-chan."

She stopped walking abruptly, staring into the nothingness ahead. Her eyes flared. "There's nothing wrong!" Then she stormed off around the corner into another hallway, leaving a cold, awkward moment in her wake.

Nagi made to follow, but felt a firm hand on his upper arm.

"Leave her." Utau said, looking side-ways out of her eye at the floor. She tightened her hold on his arm, not to keep him from leaving, but to let him know that Rima was going to be alright. He understood, his slow nod told her that. But still his sad eyes lingered on the last place her saw her long, flowing hair swish by.

Suddenly, Utau's eyes were caught by a flicker of black by the window.

Nothing, she told herself.

-----

**Gemma: ...I know. Sucky, right.  
**

**Ikuto: Amu's egg didn't even have anything to do with this.**

**Gemma: I know.**

**Ikuto: I didn't have anything to do with this. **

**Gemma: Ugh. I know.**

**Ikuto: Amaya had hardly anything to do with this. And she's some sort of mutant.**

**Gemma: I know, and don't be mean. She might be leaving soon anyway.**

**Ikuto: What!?**

**Gemma: Oops...look I haven't decided yet but she's not really anything to do with amuto, even though she is a big part of my idea...Which WILL kick into the story line next chapter!  
**

**Ikuto: Please review.**

**Utau: Even though Gemma wouldn't blame you if you didn't.  
**


	16. Another damn authors note

Authors Note

I'm sorry. This isn't another chapter and I doubt there will be another one for a while. As you may have noticed I haven't updated in a loooong long time. And I am soo sosososososo sorry, but I have other things going on that I can't really tell you about but as soon as...my problems have all been sorted I'll get back to this ASAP. No one seems as interested as they used to be in this fic, so it should be alright if i don't update for a while. I WILL carry on with this though, I swear I am not dropping this completely.

Love always, Tsukiyomi Gemma.


	17. What's happening?

**I can't say sorry enough times. Really, I've had so much to deal with over the past year but now I'm trying to pull this all together. Short-ish chapter full of random little moments but I really think everything is coming together. I really hope you are all still interested in this. Please enjoy! **

**Thank you so much to:**

AnImE_-faN,

TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi,

Shokora 'N Strawberries ,

PrOuD TuRtLe HuGgErS ,

kouhaixsempai,

Kazumiki chan1,

LuckyTurtle ,

Trinity's Blood,

muuu ,

Ezra,

amuto4ever72,

S2xBlizzard-AngelxS2

and Zk-ikutofan

**Art and Ikuto Chapter 15 **

**What's going on?**

"Rima, wait!" Nagi begged at the small girls back.

"No." She didn't stop her surprisingly long strides.

"Please, Rima."

"Wasn't Utau meant to be keeping you away from me?" Rima spun on her heel facing the boy, almost causing him to crash right into her.

"You… you want me away from you?" His broken expression must have cracked away at Rima's shell, for she just stared back equally as broken. "Something is upsetting you. I want to help, if I can."

There was a pause between the two. The hallway grew quiet as students filtered into their classrooms for the hour. Looking intently at the floor, Rima replied with "I saw you."

Those three simple words seemed to shatter her right before his eyes. Almost as if saying it suddenly made everything true, everything she feared and hoped to be a lie: him and the sickeningly likeable Amaya. Alone. Alone apart from each other that is. What had happened in there? Not that she wanted to know. Okay, maybe she did. Only so she had a reason to be angry. Seeing herself through Nagi's eyes she noticed how unjustified her annoyance might be. It's not like anything was going on with her and him. So why should it matter what may or may not have went on with Nagi and Amaya? Still she couldn't help the way she felt.

After getting lost in her thoughts for several moments, she snapped back to reality, wishing she hadn't. Why hadn't he replied yet? Looking up from her pristine shoes, she tilted her head up to meet his gaze.

His _cold _gaze.

"You make it sound like I've done something wrong." He stated, not looking away from her. "Committed a crime."

This wasn't Nagi. It couldn't be. His voice was harsh and threatening. His face was void of any sort of care that he had ever felt. But his eyes… His eyes were the worst. Hard and dim, it was like looking into the eyes of a stranger, and that terrified Rima. So much that she felt the need to back away. That proved to scare her even more. She never thought the day would come when she was actually _afraid _of her friend. But the look on his face… This wasn't Nagi anymore. The look on his face, the black swirling in his eyes. Wait, what?

And then he blinked. Suddenly the scary stranger was gone, not a trace of him left on her friends face. The sweet, kind, understanding Nagi was back as if nothing happened. But then maybe it didn't. Still, the relief almost toppled her.

"Rima? Are you alright? You spaced out for a second there." His concerned expression was such a welcomed sight she could have fell into him there and then. At her more normal expression, save the blushing, he carried on. "You said you saw me?"

"Yeah." The girl mumbled. "I saw you and Amaya heading for the royal garden together. It was just weird, that's all."

Before he could say anything she muttered a quick "excuse me" and ran for the nearest bathroom, unable to here whatever he said to say on the matter.

"Rima? Me and Amaya? I don't understand." Nagi said going after her.

"Unbelievable." She sighed, mainly to herself. She could see the girls bathroom now, just a couple more strides and they wouldn't be having this conversation anymore.

"Really," he stated. "I don't know what your talking about." It was a good job that all the other students weren't around the hallways anymore. A boy following a small girl as she headed to the bathroom? Nagi didn't think that would sit well with… Well, it wouldn't sit well with anyone to be honest.

Reaching for the handle, Rima threw the girls door open and launched herself inside, still not believing he was actually denying this. Shutting the door she heard an "I can stay out here all day you know."

"Stay outside of the girls toilets all afternoon? Yeah, you do that." He heard her muffled reply from within.

Nagi just sighed.

(*)

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"…No."

"Tell-"

"Just stop asking!" Kukai yelled, quickly growing tired of the singer.

Still walking steadily behind him, Utau sighed and crossed her arms, not taking her eyes off the back of his head.

"Fine."

Kukai smiled. He was having enough of a complicated day as it is, he did not need Utau bugging him about it. He was just glad she was finally off his back, so maybe now he could relax a little.

"…You will tell me eventually." Said girl stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why do you even care?" Kukai stopped his stomping around to stare blankly out of the near by window, it's not like he had anywhere to be anyway. Okay, he had class to be at, but why would he ever need math class? He did own a calculator after all.

"I want to help."

"Well you can't."

"Everyone wants to help everyone today" Someone yelled as they plunged towards them.

"Ah! Yaya, what the hell?" Kukai bellowed, clutching his heart. "When did you get here?"

Yaya grinned and linked arms with Utau. "Oh, Yaya's been here a while."

"Well how come we didn't see you?" Utau asked, shrugging her arm off her.

Looking upset at the loss of contact, Yaya swiftly linked arms with the un expectant Kukai and replied.

"Well that's because Yaya and Pepe' have been wandering around looking for everyone."

"Spying on people…" Kukai muttered.

Easily ignoring him Yaya explains how she heard that Nagi wanted to help Rima out too.

"Help her out with what?" The singer mused, leaning against the window ledge.

"GAHH!"

The deafening yell caused Yaya to jump five foot in the air, taking Kukai with her, which in turn caused him to have another near heart attack. Skidding around the corner Utau spotted Nagi sprawled across the floor.

"Ummm…"

"Some girl h-hit me." The dazed boy stammered.

"Shouldn't have been chilling outside the girls toilets then." Ikuto smirked down at him, as he rounded the opposite corner. Seeing Kukai and Yaya join his sister he raised his eyebrow. "Shouldn't you all be in class anyway?"

"Shouldn't you?" Utau also raised her eyebrow.

"Can tell their related." Yaya giggled into Kukai's ear as she held him up. Still suffering from shock Kukai just grunted.

"It's my hot body I do what I want." **(South Park quote xD) **Ikuto then stalked off.

"…"

"…Does this mean I get to skip class too?" Kukai perked up, excited.

Utau simply face palmed.

"Say Nagi…" Kukai said as Nagi was pulled from the floor with the help of Yaya. "Why _are _you hanging out near the girls toilets?"

"Yeah, bit weird."

Nagi looked at Utau, searching for something to say. She had a fair point actually.

"Well, Rima is in there…"

"Uh. She isn't she left a while ago by the looks of it." Yaya shouted from her place looking into the bathroom.

"Bu- but. What? When?" He sure felt stupid now.

"Probably when you were getting your ass kicked by that girl." Kukai offered.

Falling back into the lockers, Nagi suddenly remembered the aching bump on his head, caused by the shoe a young girl beat him down with. He patted it gingerly, the lump was getting worse.

"I guess I had better get myself to the nurse office."

"I'll come too!"

Yaya jogged after the boy who kept muttering "This will be fun to explain."

"…I guess that just leaves us again then." The soccer star said, leaning casually against a door frame, keeping out of sight of the door to his classroom.

"I guess." She agreed. "So, you gonna tell me what's up now?"

"Oh no…"

(*)

Meanwhile in maths class.

(*)

'_Where the hell is everyone?' _A pink haired girl panicked silently.

Amu's eyes scanned across the class for the billionth time that lesson. She knew no matter how many times she would look, Utau, Nagi, Rima, Yaya and Kukai were not going to turn up. And she could forget about Ikuto showing his face. Apparently his 'hot body' was too busy to turn up to class.

Her eyebrow twitched. At least she wasn't completely alone…

"Hinamori, what answer did you get for question 9?"

'_The hell? We had a test?'_

That was when Amu let her eyes trail over to the only remaining guardian left with her.

Tadase.

He was already looking at her, along with most of the class.

Thankfully he just smiled and whispered "Canadian."

'_Tadase, you life saver!' _She only sent him a little, thankful smile.

"Canadian." She repeated confidently, making strong eye contact with the surprising short woman in front of her.

There was a pause.

A very long pause.

Okay, this is getting weird now.

"The square root of sixty four divided by 2 is … Canadian?"

"Uhh."

Amu glared at Tadase, sending him daggers. _'You are so dead, doing that to me.'_

"So…so is that wrong?" Everyone else turned to the sound of a girlish-boyish voice that squeaked from the blond boy.

"Yes, Hotori, that's wrong." The teacher sighed, shaking her head and making her way to the front of the class.

Amu watched as Tadase took a pen and scratched his paper with it, erasing his answer.

'_He thought that was right? … Ah, he's still dead.'_

(*)

"Hey. You like rainbows?"

"…Yeah, sure.

Ikuto had been on the roof for a good part of half an hour, and so far, Yoru had been asking him random, annoying question every second.

"Cool, me too. You ever tried coconut?"

"Yeah." He sighed, placing his hand over his eyes.

"You liked it?"

"Yes, Yoru, It was alright."

"…"

"Hey…"

"What, Yoru? What?" He all but yelled into his hand.

"…What would you do if zombies invaded?"

"Right now? I'd throw you at them. Maybe it would stop you asking stupid questions and give me some peace."

"Right…" Yoru mumbled, sinking to the floor near his owner. "Ikuto~nya?"

"Shut up."

"Was only gonna ask if you wanted to get some milk."

This sparked his interest. His kitty ears proved it.

"…I could go for some milk." He admitted, cracking one eye open.

They both dragged themselves off the floor, ice cold milk on both their minds. About to jump down to the ground, Ikuto noticed a girl wandering the school grounds. A girl with wings.

"Should get her inside before Kiddy King throws a fit about her being out in the open." Ikuto groaned.

"Come on, I want my milk!" The cat chara sobbed into his owner's shoulder.

Shrugging him off, Ikuto leapt from the roof, landing perfectly on the ground below him. He headed towards the last place he saw Amaya, probably commenting on how pretty everything she could see was. The bench she was dancing around was empty, like the surrounding area.

"This is like babysitting." Why was he doing this anyway? Not like it was his job. Shouldn't Tadase be crying about past loves to her or something?

"Huh. What?" Ikuto looked to his side to see Yoru floating about with a carton of milk cradled to his chest.

Snatching the milk, Ikuto made his way to the front of the royal garden, hoping to find this strangely nice girl.

"So _now _do we trust her?" Yoru mumbled out, trying to dive for the carton held firmly in Ikuto's hand.

Easily dodging his lunges Ikuto replied. "No. There's just something I don't like about her." He said quietly as he stepped into the shadows inside the building. "Come on."

"Your good at hide and seek, Ikuto-_kun_." What a dark voice.

Looking over his shoulder, Ikuto only saw more shadows. Where had that voice came from?

"Who-"

Suddenly there was a flash of blinding light, and everything went black.

(*)

"I'm so glad to be out of that class." Amu sighed leaning into Utau, who turned up 3 minutes before the end of lesson, told the teacher to shove it, and started spraying deodorant into Tadase's eyes. God knows why. Perhaps she just felt like it, or maybe like she said she just 'tripped'.

"That bad, huh?" She replied. The girls were stood outside of the principals office, waiting for Utau to be screamed at then sent on her way. Just another day. "You don't have to wait with me you know."

"Yeah, but I guess I don't want to walk around on my own. I'm still really embarrassed." She admitted, rubbing circles into her elbow.

"Well Hinamori-san," Interrupted the principal from the door next to the two. "It seems as though you'll have to I'm afraid. Hoshina-San."

"Tsukiyomi-San." She corrected.

Amu just looked at her. She knew Utau had accepted her and Ikuto's relationship, but now, it finally felt real. That finally they really were ordinary brother and sister. Suddenly Amu remembered how dumb she had looked in her math class. Why would she believe Tadase anyway? What maths question would have the answer "Canadian" anyway?

"I guess I could call Ikuto while your busy, seeing as I can't find anyone." she sighed reaching for her phone.

"Ah, Hotori-kun, Please take a seat."

Tadase sat where the head teacher motioned with his hand.

"Now," Utau sunk in her assigned chair, this had better not take long. "Do we both know why we're here?"

Tadase glared at Utau from underneath the cloth covering his red eyes.

"That is the exact reason I sprayed your eyes. Bare that in mind next time." She threatened.

"That was extremely dangerous Hoshi-…Tsukiyomi-san," he quickly corrected himself. "It is against school rules and…well, it could have blinded him."

"Look," Utau tried to reason leaning towards the desk. "It's only happened once."

"Tsukiyomi-san! Your doing it right now!"

She looked at her right arm, extended and holding an aerosol can in Tadase's face. Huh. It looked like she _was _doing it again. Weird.

Tadase was rolling around on the floor by this time. And the head teacher was furiously glaring at Utau as he helped the screaming boy to his feet. Standing up Utau threw the can up and down in her hands.

"The thing is Musashi-San," She smirked. "This is only water."

Tadase froze. "It's … water?" He said, taking his hands away from his eyes.

Musashi-San flopped down into his chair. "This school…"

(*)

"…So I waited with Utau for a while, I didn't want to walk on my own." Amu smiled into her phone. She had just spent the last couple of minutes recounting the last hours events to Ikuto. "Ikuto?"

It was quiet down the line.

"Hey, Ikuto can you hear me?"

"…Who is this?"

'_My voice can't sound that different on the phone.' _She inwardly mused.

"It's me." she said smiling. "Amu."

"…"

"Hello?"

"Don't call me again."

And the line rang dead.

**Thank you for reading! **

**I will start working on the next chapter as soon as possible, I already have the notes. **

**Thank you for sticking with this story I'm really grateful. **

**I hope you enjoyed it!**


	18. It can't be her

**Yes, I know. This fic has been anything but regular. But this is nearly the end now, so can we cut it out with the bitchy PM's now? **

**That would be just **_**awesome.**_

**As some of you may know I'm a young carer and finding time for writing is becoming harder and harder. Not only that there is a lot going on in my life right now, and I could do without the nasty personal messages. What you need to realise is that this is a fan fiction. Your not going to die if I take too long on a chapter. **

**For others, I am really sorry but there isn't much I can do about it at the moment. This is leading up to the end so please enjoy! **

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! **

Tsukiyomi Gemma xxx

**Art and Ikuto - Chapter 16**

It was easy. It was so painfully easy, just like she knew it would be.

No challenge, and that was a shame. But the fun had only just begun.

That night was when the real fun would take place…

(*)

"You can't be serious." Utau said to a stunned looking Amu.

They were still outside the office, sat on the stiff metal chairs lining the hallway. Amu didn't care how uncomfortable she was, she didn't even notice. How could she? Ikuto had just told her to never call him again.

"Maybe his phone is running out of battery or something?" Nagi offered. He was sent to the principals office to report on his new injury, but ran into Utau and Amu on the way. He didn't want to explain what he was doing outside the girls toilets anyway. "Maybe he was letting you know you couldn't get hold of him on his phone anymore?"

Utau forced a smile of agreement. She didn't believe that, and she knew Nagi didn't either. But it was so much easier to believe that than anything else. It was so much easier to keep spewing out excuses for Ikuto than figure out what was going on. It was easier because Amu hadn't even spoken yet. Not since she explained her strange phone call.

The three sat in silence, because what else was there to say?

Suddenly Amu stood, leaving Nagi and Utau looking up at her as she walked blindly away from them.

"Where are-"

"To find him." She cut Utau off, never breaking a stride. "And I don't care that I don't know where he is." And with that she turned a corner and disappeared into a crowd of students.

Utau hadn't rose from her seat. What was the point? She couldn't stop Amu, and she didn't really want to. What on Earth was Ikuto doing?

"They haven't fought have they?" Utau looked at Nagi.

"Of course they haven't." She sighed. They were running out of reasons here. "We have to find out what's going on."

"We?" He repeated. The last time he got involved in anything he ended up with a 'Jack and Jill' worthy lump on his head. "I don't know, Utau…"

(*)

This was boring. Sat almost all alone in the dark of the Royal Garden. She could destroy the place if she wanted to, and she certainly did want to. Doing that would give away her cover though. She wasn't stupid, even if the Guardians believed she was.

She laughed.

The Guardians. Oh, how gullible they were...

She stood then, her long grey hair brushed the back of her legs as she did so. Her stormy eyes scanned across the garden, landing lazily on the blue haired boy sat at her feet.

"Ikuto…" She said half heartedly. "Say something."

He didn't. He only stared up at her slowly, blank eyes darker than they should be, hiding his pupils.

"Boring."

Ikuto's head lulled back down.

"Nagi might be more entertaining." She smiled. But it was not one of her sweet smiles seen so many times before. There was something in her now. Something dark within her.

Amaya's eyes clouded over then, the grey swirling until that was all to be seen. Her mouth fell open, and she seemed so far away. Then a pulsating light shot off her, spreading far and wide.

"He's on his way…" The girl whimpered almost in pain as she slid to the floor. "…Oh cheer up. You don't need Amu now. You have me."

Ikuto did not look up.

(*)

"But why~?" Yaya moaned again.

"Yaya, drop it."

Rima and Yaya were slumped on a bench outside of the school building, staring up at the clouds quickly covering the burning sun.

"I just don't want to go." Rima stated, seeing Yaya's confused look.

"Why? Is it because Nagi might be there? What did Nagi do? Why are you and Nagi fighting anyway? Or do you hate the royal Garden now? Why do-?"

Rima zoned out of the conversation then, she lost Yaya after about the thousandth question.

"Rima-tan…RIMA-TAN!"

"Oh G-" Clutching at her chest she turned her body to face she screaming girl. "You scared me…"

"I have one little question left…Wh- Oh look it's Nagi!" She jumped up pointing.

He was walking steadily towards the Royal Garden building, head up, long strides. And his eyes… they were black.

"No!" Rima gasped. Not again! Not that look on his face! She turned on the spot and ran. To where? Even she didn't know. All she knew was she had to get away from him. She couldn't look into those eyes again.

Well. Yaya was beyond confused. Why is everyone acting to darn weird? Pepe' looked confused too. The two turned to each other.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" Pepe' offered.

"Heh, sure!" Yaya threw her fist in the air and launched herself to the nearest food bar.

(*)

"Finally, you're here Nagi-kun!" Amaya threw her arms around his form, but he didn't respond. "Where were you?"

Almost mechanically he said "With Utau. Then you called."

"Oh no. Oh no no no no!" throwing her hands to her head she dramatically fell to the ground. "She'll come after you! Go back out there and act normal. Maybe bring her back here too?"

And with that Amaya threw Nagi out of the double doors and locked them.

"That was close…"

(*)

"Bunch of damn morons." Utau cursed as she wandered through the school grounds. "What the hell is going on around here?"

She slumped onto the side of a fountain. "First Amu runs off, then Nagi goes all zombie on me…"

"Utau." Said boy's voice announced his presence.

"Oh there you are! What the hell was all that about earlier, Nagi?" She pushed herself from the fountain to join his side because he was walking away from her, _again. _He didn't reply, he just kept walking.

"Where are we going?" She inquired.

The only reply she got was his hand grabbing onto her left wrist, dragging her along. "Let go!"

What was happening? This wasn't Nagi at all. It was only then that Utau looked at him, _really _looked at him. She was going to ask what was wrong with his eyes, his black, heartless eyes, but what response would she get? Utau had enough of being ignored. She dug her heals into the dusty ground, and snapped her arm from his harsh grasp.

"What the fuck do you think your doing?" She bit at him, rubbing the new bruise on her wrist. "What is up with you?"

They were only meters from the Royal Garden now, and she was almost sure she saw a pair of grey eyes staring back at her from behind the glass of the doors. Finally Nagi turned on the spot, his black eyes baring down into her purple orbs.

"What's wrong, Utau? Don't you trust me?" That grin certainly did not belong to him. It was ruthless, menacing. This made her flinch away.

'_What do I do? If I run he'd catch me, but I can't stay here. And I'm sure as hell not going into the Royal Garden with him, not when he's like this. I can't fight him, damn charas have wandered off again, right when I needed-'_

"Clearly you're in deep thought," The boy who was not Nagi said. "Maybe you would like to continue your musings inside, may I interest you in some tea?" His grin started to look more like he was baring his teeth than anything else, like a wolf spotting new prey.

She flinched again.

"What's the matter? The fierce Hoshina Utau feeling scared?"

"You clearly don't know her that well!" The screaming outburst was followed by an almightily clang and 'Nagi' fell to his feet.

As he dropped, Utau saw a shaking, yet determined Rima stood behind him clutching at a metal baseball bat. With tears dripping down her face she dropped the bat and ran towards the school, grabbing her friends hand as she went.

"And it's _Tsukiyomi _Utau actually!" The tiny girl yelled over her tears.

(*)

"She did what!" Amaya yelled, using her withered wings to loom over Nagi.

"She took out his knee with a baseball bat." Ikuto piped up from across the room. "Didn't you hear him? Or are you too busy ruining people's lives to listen?" His voice was strong and loud, hearing it you wouldn't believe that he was actually a panting mess on the floor.

"That's enough out of you." Amaya shushed him, like she would a child begging for ice-cream. "You just be a good little boy now, okay?" She quickly flicked her hand and he fell silent, drooping even further into the ground as if an invisible force was dragging him down. Nagi looked over at Ikuto, shaking hands reaching out to the crumbling blue haired boy.

Her power was weakening over them, there wasn't much time left…

(*)

"I don't know, I just don't!" Rima cried into Utau' shoulder.

The girls were sat near the bike sheds on the school grounds. Utau was perched on her heels and she held the small sobbing girl in her arms. No matter how many times they asked each other, they still had no idea what was going on. Utau's head snapped up for what must have been the tenth time as another couple rounded the corner.

"If you wanna make out, go somewhere else!" How cliché. Couples meeting up with each other behind the bike sheds. "Didn't realise this school was such a sleaze fest."

The mortified girl dragged what Utau hoped was her boyfriend away from the sheds. "I told you this was a stupid idea…" She mumbled as they left.

Minutes passed and slowly Rima gained back most of her composure. "That girl." She said slowly. "That girl has something to do with it."

Okay, maybe she gained back her cool, clearly not her sanity though.

"Jesus, Rima. She only wanted to come round here, I doubt she did this."

"I don't mean her!" Rima stood, pointing a small finger at the retreating couples back. "Amaya!"

Just as Utau was about to argue her statement she stopped. "Amaya…" That girl _did _seem too nice. Who would willingly spend time talking with Tadase anyway?

"You may be onto something there, Rima. Come on."

"Where are we going?" She sniffed as she took the taller girls hand.

"Royal Garden. I don't like being kept in the dark."

(*)

**Another short one but the next chapter should be the last where everything is finally all tied up, and I will defiantly be going back to one-shots, I don't seem to be getting told to give up on writing when I do those ;) **

**G'day. **


End file.
